Jeweled flower mantis

Description

Creobroter gemmatus, common name jeweled flower mantis, is a species of praying mantis native to Asia. Males grow to about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) and females are slightly larger. They prefer a humid environment and live about nine months in captivity. Females can be cannibalistic but males are fairly communal. Though infrequent, cannibalism among C. germmatus is nevertheless more common than among other flower mantises. They moult 8 times to become an adult and can take between 2 and 5 months to mature depending on food and temperature. They are the smallest yet most widespread Creobroter species. They make easy pets with proper care and it is said there is a 90% survival rate among nymphs. Creobroter is a genus of flower mantises in the tribe Hymenopodini; species are concentrated in Asia. The name comes from the Greek kreo-, meaning "flesh") and broter" meaning "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 are about 4 to 5 cm. As the common name indicates, Creobroter spp. 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 subadults of Creobroter than adults. This flower mimicry is only partial, but is attractive enough to make Creobroter species favored as pets, especially as they are more common and less delicate than the more flower-like Hymenopus. In some species (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, 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 spp. trade their ant-mimicking, dark, shiny appearance for the green and light-colored markings that make their outline so difficult to discern amidst vegetation.