''Pseudocreobotra ocellata'', known as the African flower mantis or with other species as the spiny flower mantis, is a
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 ...
() native to Africa, ranging from Angola and South Africa in the south to Uganda in the east and Senegal in the west. It was described by the French naturalist
Palisot de Beauvois in 1805.
Description
The adult has bold
disruptive coloration
Disruptive coloration (also known as disruptive camouflage or disruptive patterning) is a form of camouflage that works by breaking up the outlines of an animal, soldier or military vehicle with a strongly contrasting pattern. It is often comb ...
in cream and green, providing effective
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 ...
against flowers and in damp leafy places.
[ The male reaches 25 mm long, the female 32 mm. There are spiny projections under the abdomen, 6 in the male, 5 in the female. The wings of the male are longer and wider than the abdomen, while the female's wings are narrower than the abdomen and can only briefly sustain flight.
]
Behaviour and ecology
The wings of ''P. ocellata'', like those of ''Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii
''Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii,'' or the spiny flower mantis, is a small flower mantis () native to southern and eastern Africa.
Morphology
The adult has spiny structures on the underside of its abdomen, giving it its name. It is variable in colo ...
'', are marked with a large brightly coloured eyespot which is used in 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 ...
to startle predators.
See also
* List of mantis genera and species
The following list of mantis genera and species is based on the "Mantodea Species File", which is the primary reference for the taxonomy shown here.
The insect Order (biology), order Mantodea consists of over 2,400 species of mantises in about 460 ...
* 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 ...
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2115719
Hymenopodidae
Mantodea of Africa
Insects described in 1805