Phyllocrania paradoxa

Phyllocrania paradoxa
Male ghost mantis in one of the older nymph stages, probably sub-adult
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Mantodea
Family:	Hymenopodidae
Genus:	Phyllocrania
Species:	P. paradoxa
Binomial name
Phyllocrania paradoxa (Burmeister,1838)

Phyllocrania paradoxa,common nameghost mantis,is a smallspeciesofmantisfrom Africa remarkable for its leaf-like body. It is one of the three species in the genusPhyllocrania.It is known for its distinct and exclusive camouflaged appearance of a dry weathered leaf.

Description

Two adult female ghost mantises with a50 cent euro coin(diameter 24.25 mm) for size comparison

Compared to many otherpraying mantises,the ghost mantis is a "miniature species"growing to only about 45 to 50 millimetres (1.8 to 2.0 in) long.

It comes in various brownish shades from very dark brown (almost black) to greenish gray. An individual's colors change betweenmoltsand are also dependent on light and humidity levels.

Phyllocrania paradoxaiscamouflagedso as to appear as dead, dried-up leaf material.It has an elongated head, a flattened, extended prothorax and leaf-like protrusions from its limbs.The mantis also has a forewing that looks like a desiccated leaf,and the "creases" in the wings are actually shadings of pigment.In the wild, the ghost praying mantis effectively blends in against dead leaves. Predators such as birds tend to overlook insects that resemble their background, and by staying still the ghost praying mantis can go unnoticed.

If threatened, big nymphs and adult females adoptthanatosis,i.e. they play dead, whereas adult males run or fly away.

P. paradoxaoothecaecan hatch out up to three dozen young.1st and 2ndinstarnymphsof this species are dark colored and useant mimicryas a defense.

Sexual Dimorphism

As with most or all species ofmantis,Phyllocrania paradoxaissexually dimorphic,with females being larger than males. Females have sixabdominalsegments. Males are shorter, narrower, and have eight-segmented abdomens.At the 5thinstarand above males are thinner than females and have smaller appendages (lateral of the abdomen). At the 6thinstarand above their crowns are different. When adult, males have longer and thickerantennaethan females and transparent wings, which are longer than the abdomen. They are good flyers and are significantly thinner than the females. At the 5thinstarand above females are more compact than males and have biggerappendages.At the 6thinstarand above the crown of females are as wide as their head and more line and smoother than the male`s crown. When adult, females are significantly more compact than males, with shorterantennaeand wings that do not cover the abdomen.

Range

Phyllocrania paradoxahave a wide range across the African continent andits islandsand can be found inAngola,Cameroon,Cape Province,Congo basin,Ethiopia,Ghana,Guinea,Ivory Coast,Kenya,Malawi,Madagascar,Mozambique,Namibia,Somalia,South Africa,Sudan,Tanzania,Togo,Transvaal,UgandaandZimbabwe.It is also found inSouth Europe.

Habitat

Ghost mantis inhabit dry areas, bushes, shrubbes, trees in the open.

Gallery

• 
  Ghost mantisootheca
• 
  Sub-adult female ghost mantis
• 
  Sub-adult female ghost mantis
• 
  Carapace of a sub-adult female ghost mantis
• 
  Female ghost mantis,ocellus
• 
  Sub-adult female ghost mantis
• 
  Sub-adult male ghost mantis'swing-buds
• 
  Sub-adult female ghost mantis'swing-buds

See also

• List of mantis genera and species
• Dead Leaf Mantis
• Extatosoma tiaratum

Bibliography

• For a technical discussion of an aspect of this species'anatomyrefer toThe cervical sclerites of Mantodea discussed in the context of dictyopteran phylogenyby Frank Wieland,Entomologische Abhandlungen63,Museum für Tierkunde Dresden,2006

External links

• [9]Bolton Museum and Archive Service
• [10]2007 InsectaCulture Videos ofPhyllocrania paradoxa
• Ghost mantis care sheet
• DeadlymantisThis site have some amazing pictures of praying mantis and information on multiple species. Also, there are links to supplies for rearing and exotic live specimens.

External links

• Media related toPhyllocrania paradoxaat Wikimedia Commons