Wandering Violin Mantis (Gongylus gongylodes)

Wandering Violin Mantis Gongylus gongylodes
Name	Wandering Violin Mantis
Name Lat.	Gongylus gongylodes
Family	Empusid Mantises
Family lat.	Empusidae
Order	Praying Mantids
Order lat.	Mantodea
Origin	South and Southeast Asia
Habitat	Tropical forest
Diet	Flying insects
Humidity	60-70 %
Behavior	Predatory
Keeping	Individual
Care Level	Moderate
Housing	Semi-humid terrarium
Breeding	Moderately difficult
Life Span	8-15 months
Protection	No
Metric Units
Size	8-10 cm
Temperature Day	30-35 °C
Temperature Night	22-24 °C
Housing Size	30 x 30 x 50 cm
US Units
Size	3.1"-3.9"
Temperature Day	86-95 °F
Temperature Night	72-75 °F
Housing Size	10" x 10" x 20"

Distribution and habitat

The distribution range of the diurnal Walking Violin extends from India and Sri Lanka through Bangladesh and Myanmar to Java. They inhabit open forests and cultivated landscapes, where they live well camouflaged in the branches of bushes and shrubs

Maintenance

For a female an insectarium of 30 x 30 x 50 cm (L x W x H), for a group of up to 5 males 40 x 40 x 60 cm, can be recommended as a guideline. An insectarium with a cover made of gauze or a fine metal grid is best suited, which should be placed in a quiet, place without sunlight.

You will need an insectarium not too densely structured with many climbing branches (hiding places, privacy screens) and pieces of bark with a cork back wall, as well as a small, shallow drinking vessel with water gel or a cotton trough. Artificial or live plants (e.g. Ficus pumila, Scindapsus aureus) can be used for decoration. The substrate of coconut fiber, vermiculite or sand-loam-peat mixture should always be kept slightly moist. Daily, preferably in the evening, the insectarium should be finely sprayed with water inside (humidity), but a rain or mist system is better. Waterlogging should be avoided at all costs.

Temp. day: 30-35 °C

Temp. night: 22-24 °C

Humidity: 60-70

The lighting duration should be 12 hrs. Light sources that also produce the necessary heat are ideal.

Diet

They are predatory and seize even very large prey, preferably flying insects, at lightning speed with their spiny tentacles. The food supply should consist of crickets, house crickets, flies (Drosophila, house flies) and grasshoppers, small butterflies but also moths, etc.. It is important to regularly add minerals and vitamins (e.g. by dusting the feeders). The quality of the feeders can be enhanced by feeding overripe fruit and honey water. A few days before, during and after molting, they refuse to eat. During molting, no predatory feeders (e.g. crickets) should remain in the insectarium, as during this time the animals are unprotected and may become prey themselves

A varied diet promotes health and prevents deficiency symptoms.

Reproduction and breeding

Adult females are slightly larger than males. Males have 6, females only 5 abdominal appendages.

After mating, which lasts several hours, the female lays the first egg package (ootheca) after about 14 days. In the interval of approx. 14 days up to 10 further oothecae can follow. At a temperature of about 30 °C 20-50 nymphs hatch after about 4 weeks. They should be fed immediately with small fruit flies or micro echinoderms, so that they do not eat each other (cannibalism).

After the imaginal molt the females live up to 15 months, the males about 8 months.

Important

Prior to mating, a large food animal should be offered to the female to reduce the risk of her eating the male. It is recommended to keep females singly.

They have very good camouflage due to their body shape and coloration, and their often prolonged immobility, and are very similar to a wilted leaf (leaf mimesis). They owe their German name to the shape of their broad abdomen, which resembles a violin.

For molting, they hang upside down in the branches or on the lattice cover and slide out of their old shell. Therefore, they need at least one body length of free space below them.

Before purchasing, an insectarium should be prepared that meets the species-specific needs. Good ventilation without drafts is necessary, as well as equipment for measuring temperature and humidity. The lighting must correspond to the day-night rhythm appropriate for the species and must be installed in such a way that the animals cannot injure themselves. The insectarium should be locked in such a way that neither unauthorized persons can open it nor the animals can escape. Special attention must be paid to thorough hygiene and contamination must be removed regularly.

Further literature can be found in your pet store.

References

Text: petdata; Image: Franz Lowak

Source: ENGELMAN & LANGE (2011): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Wirbellose, Verlag Harri Deutsch; HENKEL & SCHMIDT (2010): Taschenatlas Wirbellose für das Terrarium, Verlag Ulmer