''Creobroter'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

flower mantis Flower mantises are praying mantis species that use a special form of camouflage referred to as aggressive mimicry, which they not only use to attract prey, but avoid predators as well. These insects have specific colorations and behaviors that ...

es in the tribe

Hymenopodini Hymenopodinae is a subfamily of the mantis family Hymenopodidae. Tribes and genera The ''Mantodea Species File'' lists genera in two tribes: Anaxarchini *''Anaxarcha'' Stal, 1877 *''Euantissa'' Giglio-Tos, 1927 *''Heliomantis'' Giglio-Tos, 1915 ...

; species are concentrated in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

. 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

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...

s and are capable fliers. Full-grown males are about 3 to 4 cm in length; females are about 4 to 5 cm.

Camouflage and mimicry

As the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

indicates, ''Creobroter'' spp. are known for having varicolored (yellow, white, red, brown, etc.) markings, which serve as

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...

by hiding the creatures' actual shape and making them look somewhat like

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s when hiding amidst green

foliage A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...

. The resemblance to flowers may be greater in subadults of ''Creobroter'' than adults. This flower

mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. Often, mimicry f ...

is only partial, but is attractive enough to make ''Creobroter''

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

favored as pets, especially as they are more common and less delicate than the more flower-like ''

Hymenopus ''Hymenopus''Serville JGA (1831) ''Annls Sci. nat.'' 22: 46. is a genus of flower mantises belonging to the family Hymenopodidae. This genus is widespread in the tropical forests of East Asia. Species * '' Hymenopus bicornis'' Latreille, 1807 * ...

''. In some species (such as ''C. gemmatus''), these markings also serve as eyespots when the mantis spreads its wings in a

deimatic display Deimatic behaviour or startle display means any pattern of bluffing behaviour in an animal that lacks strong defences, such as suddenly displaying conspicuous eyespots, to scare off or momentarily distract a predator, thus giving the prey anima ...

. Rather than resembling foliage or flowers, some species of ''Creobroter'' resemble ants during their early

nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ty ...

stages.

Ant mimicry Ant mimicry or myrmecomorphy is mimicry of ants by other organisms. Ants are abundant all over the world, and potential predators that rely on vision to identify their prey, such as birds and wasps, normally avoid them, because they are either un ...

is a useful defense against

predation Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the ...

for the young, as most ants are relatively unpalatable and aggressive, making insect predators that rely on vision to identify their prey, such as

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

s and

wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...

s, avoid them. Around their third

ecdysis Ecdysis is the moulting of the cuticle in many invertebrates of the clade Ecdysozoa. Since the cuticle of these animals typically forms a largely inelastic exoskeleton, it is shed during growth and a new, larger covering is formed. The remna ...

, ''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.

Species

No consistency is seen for the use of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

s for these species. For example, at least two ''Creobroter'' species found in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

have been called "Indian flower mantis". Conversely, a ''Creobroter'' sp. collected in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

might be displayed in a collection as a "Thai flower mantis", while the same species collected elsewhere might be called a "

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

n flower mantis". The following species of ''Creobroter'' are described (subject to review): antodea.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1182691 Mantodea Species File: genus ''Creobroter'' Westwood, 1889 (Version 5.0/5.0: retrieved 20 July 2019)/ref> * ''

Creobroter apicalis ''Creobroter apicalis'' is an Asian speciesSingh Yadav, Kerketta, Kumar, Painkra (2018) ''Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies'' 6(3): 1579-1582 of praying mantids in the tribe Hymenopodini Hymenopodinae is a subfamily of the mantis famil ...

'' Saussure, 1869 (synonym ''Creobroter elongatus'' (Beier, 1929)) * ''

Creobroter celebensis ''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 preda ...

'' Werner, 1931 * ''

Creobroter discifera ''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 preda ...

'' Serville, 1839 - type species * ''

Creobroter episcopalis ''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 preda ...

'' Stal, 1877 * ''

Creobroter fasciatus ''Creobroter fasciatus'' is a species of praying mantis in the family Hymenopodidae.
Tree of Life Web Project. 2005

See ...

'' Werner, 1927 * '' Creobroter fuscoareatus'' Saussure, 1870 * ''

Creobroter gemmatus ''Creobroter gemmatus'', common name jeweled flower mantis, is a species of praying mantis native to Asia. Description Males grow to about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) and females are slightly larger. They prefer a humid environment and live about ...

'' Saussure, 1869 * '' Creobroter granulicollis'' Saussure, 1870 * '' Creobroter insolitus'' Beier, 1942 * '' Creobroter jiangxiensis'' Zheng, 1988 * '' Creobroter labuanae'' Hebard, 1920 * '' Creobroter laevicollis'' Saussure, 1870 * '' Creobroter medanus'' Giglio-Tos, 1915 * '' Creobroter meleagris'' Stal, 1877 * '' Creobroter nebulosa'' Zheng, 1988 * '' Creobroter pictipennis'' Wood-Mason, 1878 * '' Creobroter signifer'' Walker, 1859 * '' Creobroter sumatranus'' de Haan, 1842 * '' Creobroter urbanus'' Fabricius, 1775 * '' Creobroter vitripennis'' Beier, 1933

References

External links

MantisOnline.eu: Creobroter
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4148294 Mantodea of Asia Fauna of Western Asia Hymenopodidae Mantodea genera Taxa named by John O. Westwood

Camouflage and mimicry

Species

See ...

See also

References

Further reading

External links