| Gongylus gongylodes | |
|---|---|
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| Gongylus gongylodes | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Mantodea |
| Family: | Empusidae |
| Genus: | Gongylus |
| Species: | G. gongylodes |
| Binomial name | |
| Gongylus gongylodes | |
| Synonyms | |
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[ citation needed ] and often kept as a pet. The mantis is especially known for swaying its body back and forth to imitate a stick flowing in the wind. [1] It primarily feeds on flying insects. Its native range is in southern India and Sri Lanka.[ citation needed ] It can reach up to 11 cm (4.3 in) long. The males of the species are capable of flight. They are a communal species, in that they are able to live and breed in large groups, without unnecessary cannibalism.[ citation needed ] Adult females are about 10cm (3 in) and adult males are about 9 cm.[ citation needed ]
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Its specific name gongylodes means "roundish" in Greek, [2] from the same word as its generic epithet Gongylus .
