Wandering violin mantis
The wandering violin mantis is a long, skinny praying mantis with very thin legs. It looks like a twig, and it even sways back and forth like a stick blowing in the wind. That way it can sneak up on insects without being noticed.
How big is it?
How long is it?
How big is Wandering violin mantis compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
Its body is about as long as a grown-up's finger, sometimes even longer.
Many of them can live together in a big group without eating each other, which is unusual for mantises.
Only the males can fly.
Its scientific name means roundish in Greek.
Most asked questions about Wandering violin mantis
?Is the violin mantis dangerous?
No. It is a calm mantis that is not dangerous to people, and many people keep it as a pet.
?What does a violin mantis eat?
It mostly eats flying insects, which it catches with its front legs.
?How big is a violin mantis?
Grown-ups are about 9 to 11 centimetres long. Females are a bit bigger than males.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Gongylus gongylodes
- Group
- Mantises
- Family
- Empusidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Mantodea > Empusidae
- Lives on
- Asia
- Also known as
- Ornate mantis, Indian rose mantis
Where the facts come from
- Gongylus gongylodes (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by DruryV1P050AA.jpg : Drury, Dru, 1725-1803. Westwood, J. O. 1805-1893. derivative work: Drägüs ( talk ). Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
European mantis
Orchid mantis
Chinese mantis
Carolina mantis
Conehead mantis
Devil's flower mantis
Vietnamese centipede
Giant golden orb-weaver
Emerald cockroach wasp
Queen Alexandra's birdwing
Wallace's giant bee
Coconut rhinoceros beetle