Creobroter
| Flower Mantis | |
|---|---|
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| Creobroter gemmatus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Mantodea |
| Family: | Hymenopodidae |
| Subfamily: | Hymenopodinae |
| Tribe: | Hymenopodini |
| Genus: |
Creobroter Westwood, 1889 |
| Species | |
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see text |
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see text
Creobroter or flower mantises is a genus of mantis concentrated in Western Asia. The name comes from the Greek "kreas" (combining form "kreo-", meaning "flesh"), and "broter" (eating); therefore, "flesh-eating", an apt name for a predatory insect. Both sexes have long wings and are capable fliers. Full-grown males are about 3 to 4 cm in length, females about 4 to 5 cm.
As the common name indicates, Creobroter are known for having varicolored (yellow, white, red, brown, etc.) markings which serve as camouflage by hiding the creatures' actual shape and making them look somewhat like flowers when hiding amidst green foliage.
The resemblance to flowers may be greater in sub-adult Creobroter than those that are fully grown. This flower-mimicry is only partial, but is attractive enough to make Creobroter favored as pets, especially as Creobroter species are more common and less delicate than the more flower-like Hymenopus.
In some Creobroter (such as C. gemmatus) these markings also serve as eyespots when the mantis spreads its wings in a deimatic display.
Rather than resembling foliage or flowers, some species of Creobroter resemble ants during their early nymph stages. Ant mimicry is a useful defense against predation for the young Creobroter, as most ants are relatively unpalatable and aggressive making insect predators that rely on vision to identify their prey, such as birds and wasps, avoid them.
Around their third ecdysis, Creobroter trade their ant-mimicking dark, shiny appearance for the green and light-colored markings that make their outline so difficult to discern amidst vegetation.
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Wikipedia