Hi Steemit family!

Devil's Flower Mantis

I'll be doing a religious Mantis special this week. And if all goes well I could extend for 2 weeks as there are enough species to talk about for a long time, once I did a publication where I showed 5 very amazing mantis, today's turn is for the devil's flower mantis. Come with me to meet this incredible species.

source

Most of this incredible species are known for their beauty, for their peaceful attitude in movements, but also for being a very aggressive species, especially in a mating season where they literally eat the male after having sex.
In the case of the devil's flower mantis is a mantis that is not aggressive with humans, and although the largest number of species are aggressive with themselves, the devil's flower mantis is not aggressive with their close relatives either, this animal is characterized by inhibiting the main tropical forests because it needs at least 80% humidity to live, as well as very high temperatures according to the tropics.

source

Unlike other species of mantis where there is a very uneven sexual dimorphism where the female usually doubles in size compared to the male. On the other hand between the devil's flower mantis there is not much difference in size but in the pints of their wings and rest of the body, being the male the showiest for having more vivid colors and antennae larger than females.

source

Its reproduction will take place in season of drought for a lapse of 2 weeks, is the moment in which they carry out the last molt of the year, this species is characterized by having sexual problems in the sense that the male is very despised and it is difficult to copulate to the female reason why the reproduction is not always successful, Once the male is able to couple, all the genetic material passes through so that the female can obtain has been able to generate oothecae which has the capacity to function as an egg in common for at least 40 mantis that reach life after a lapse of 1 month.

source

As for its food the mantis feeds on butterflies, flies, moths and sometimes even bees and wild cockroaches. So we are faced with a species that is totally insectivorous.
Its family is the Empusidae, is a species of invertebrates, but has many similarities with arthropods, although the devil's flower mantis is the only one in its genus so it has its own name Idolomantis.

source

Of all the mantis, this is perhaps the largest in size and one of the most striking for its appearance, although this is common in all species of mantis that develop their characteristic shape depending on the site they inhabit. If they are purple flowers then the mantis will acquire a purple color, if the flowers are white orchids then the mantis will not only acquire the white color but it will also look a lot like the flower. This in order to camouflage itself among the vegetation where it lives where it will spend long hours in uncomfortable positions until it manages to catch some insect.

source

They are specifically found in countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia, there may be varieties with purple, black, blue, red, brown, as its name indicates its shape is very similar to a flower and sometimes you can find a certain alien aspect inspired by what we know through Martian illustrations.