Indian rose mantis

Description

Gongylus gongylodes, also known as the wandering violin mantis, ornate mantis, or Indian rose mantis, is a species of praying mantis in the family Empusidae. Characterized by extremely slender limbs with large appendages, it is not a particularly aggressive species and often kept as a pet by hobbyists. The mantis is especially known for swaying its body back and forth to imitate a stick flowing in the wind. It primarily feeds on flying insects. Its native range is in southern India and Sri Lanka. It can reach up to 11 cm long. The males of the species are capable of flight. This species is a communal species in that they live and breed in large groups without unnecessary cannibalism. Its specific name gongylodes means "roundish" in Greek, from the same word as its generic epithet Gongylus. They are found in India, Java, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.Gongylus is a genus of praying mantises in the family Empusidae. Characterized by extremely slender limbs with large appendages, at least one species (Gongylus gongylodes) is kept as a pet by hobbyists. Males of the species are capable of flight.