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MANTOPHASMATODEA
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Classification |
Life History & Ecology |
Distribution |
Physical Features |
Economic Importance |
Major Families |
Fact File |
Hot Links |
Life History & Ecology:
These insects are nocturnal predators. They live within rock crevices where they hide in clumps of grass and prey on spiders and other insects.
Distribution:
Rare. Found only in Tanzania, Namibia, and the southwestern corner of South Africa.
| North America |
Worldwide | |
| Number of Families | 0 | 1 |
| Number of Species | 0 | 6-8 |
Classification:
- Hemimetabola
- incomplete development (egg, nymph, adult)
- Orthopteroid
- closely related to Grylloblattodea
Physical Features:
| Adults and Immatures | |
|---|---|
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Economic Importance:
No economic importance. They are extremely rare.
Major Families:
- Mantophasmatidae is the only family in this order. It contains three genera.
Fact File:
- The order Mantophasmatodea was erected in 2002. It is the first new insect order since Grylloblattodea was described in 1915.
- Mantophasmatodea is the smallest order of insects. Fewer than 8 species are known and two of these are based on specimens preserved in Baltic amber (40-45 million years old).
- So far, living members of this order have been found only in the Brandberg and Erongo Mountains of Namibia and the Western Cape Province of South Africa.
- "Gladiator" was chosen as a common name for these insects because of their physical similarity to armoured fighters in the movie Gladiator.
Hot Links and Illustrations:
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