Spotted on the road at Neelangarai.
What could it be?
Preston to the rescue!
The critter you have is a painted grasshopper. You find them in large numbers at certain times of the year, feeding on the leaves of the giant milkweed plant (Calatropis sp.) They ingest the toxins of the plant which makes them distasteful to birds and their bright colours is to warn birds of this bad taste (and possible toxic nature of their tissues).
I thought it was a Praying Mantis, though preying mantis may be more appropriate! (Well, the ladies get very excited and eat up the gents!)
This one was on our lift gate, how it came up there, I know not.
However, it is a mantis. but not a praying one. Its the wandering violin mantis, Gongylus gongylodes!!
My son first decided to take it to school and show his friends and teachers, releasing it into the gardens there. But when we put it inot a bottle, it panicked, and looked so uncomfortable, that he changed his mind.
Released it in our garden..he reports that it hopped out of the bottle in a great hurry!
My son first decided to take it to school and show his friends and teachers, releasing it into the gardens there. But when we put it inot a bottle, it panicked, and looked so uncomfortable, that he changed his mind.
Released it in our garden..he reports that it hopped out of the bottle in a great hurry!
These are really cool critters, flowergirl!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely little critters!
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting ... a painted grasshopper to warn birds off. A destroyer with a heart!
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming over and choosing to follow my blog
wow, are these all that common in your area? lloks like stuff youd find in a forest
ReplyDeleteBitterscotch, its amazing what one finds even in crowded cities like ours, if we just look around!
ReplyDeleteHere's an update from Pranav of MNS -
ReplyDeletea species which does an extraordinary job mimicking dried
flowers or leaves. A wandering violin mantis rarely wanders (which
contradicts the name completely) in search of prey; it usually sits at the
base of a flower or leaf, where it snatches flying insects like butterflies
from the air, with an impressive success. This method is so effective that
in captivity, this species does not react unless its food crosses its path.
The male and female of the species can be distinguished by their elaborate
headgear (the shape of the antennae.) This is a picture of a young male with
small thread- like antennae:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46102417@N02/4760276467/in/set-721576239...
So now I know what this leaf-like insect is. Thanks for naming it for me on my blog.
ReplyDeleteOh how lovely to find one on lift door, but poor fellow..so far from where it belongs..they r superb hunter..very swift, unlike their swaying demeanour.
ReplyDelete