Pseudocreobotra wahlberghii is a small African tropical mantis. Because of its colourful beauty, it is called Spiny flower mantis. The adult who fears a threat assumes a terrifying look, raises the head, the prothorax and the fore legs, as well as the forewings evidencing the ocellar spots that recall the number 6 or 9 .

The Spiny flower mantis (Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii Stål, 1871) is a species belonging to the order Mantodea, whose showy livery recalls that of the Asian species of the genus Creobroter Westwood, 1889.

The order is believed to be cognate to the Blattaria and Isoptera with whom it shares the asymmetry of the male reproductive system and the reduction of the ovipositor. This subset of insects Polineotteri, equipped with numerous veins in the wings, and of Orthopterida with straight wings, is indicated as Dictyoptera because the wings have a reticulum of secondary alar veins that recalls the fishing nets from the old Greek “δίκτυον” (dictyo), that is, net.

The term Mantodea, with the meaning of prophet, refers to the posture that the individuals assume when resting, when they fold up their robust raptatory fore legs in an apparently mystical position. Actually, they are formidable predators in ambush.

The name of the genus Pseudocreobotra is composed by Pseudo from the Greek “ψευδής” (pseudés) false, similar, and creobotra coming in its turn from “κρέας” (kreas), meat, and “βρωτήρ” (broter), devourer, eater (carnivore), hence the genus Creobroter. The generic name therefore means that it is a fake Creobroter. It resembles the species of this genus, but it is not; whilst the specific name wahlbergii, of Wahlberg in Latin, honours the memory of Johan August Wahlberg (1810-1856), Swedish naturalist and explorer.

To the Mantodea belong about 2400 terricolous species of dimensions varying from 2,5 to 16 cm. The body is elongated, with frequent homochromy, in many exotic species the coloured liveries reinforce the effect of the terrifying attitude they take to drive away the competitors.

The head is small, mobile with developed compound eyes and three ocelli; the antennae are more or less long and filiform.

The mouthpart is masticatory with short, strong and slightly asymmetric mandibles.

The first segment of the thorax is longer than the others; in many species it is narrow, in others laterally expanded. The forewings are narrower and more sclerified than the hindwings, reduced in some species. The abdomen is flattened and wide with two terminal cerci the females utilize for building the oothecas. The male copulatory organ is asymmetric.

The majority of species, diffused in the warm and temperate zones, has a diurnal activity; some are attracted by the night lights.

Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii is native to southern and eastern Africa where it is very common together with the congener Pseudocreobotra ocellata. Due to the facility with which it is possible to grow it in terraria, it is traded in various countries for amateur purposes.

Ecology-Habitat

The Spiny flower mantis lives in environments where the day temperatures fluctuate from 25 to 30 °C and the night ones do not go below the 18 °C with a humidity of around 60%.

Despite the risks the males approach the females and cautiously carry themselves on the back of the partner, on which they stay for some time before trying the mating.

The fecundated females oviposit on the branches of the plants where they live ambushing the preys.

The cylindrical ootheca is about 4 cm long. In order to create it, from the vulvar opening together with the eggs also gets out a secretion that forms a soft foam thanks to the mechanical action of the valvae of the outer female genitals that move rhythmically.

The elongated shape is due to the fact that the female advances slowly while releasing the foam that incorporates and isolates the eggs.

From the ootheca whose outer part gets rapidly hard, after 30-40 days of incubation come to life the newborn neanids that remain gregarious for some days before dispersing while looking for prey. They will reach the adult stage in about 3 months.

In nature Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii has numerous foes: the newly born neanids are eaten by the ants, whilst the subsequent stages are predated by amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

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