This document provides information about the order Mantophasmatodea. It discusses that there are 8 known species, commonly found in Africa and known as African rock crawlers or gladiators. They are wingless insects that live in xeric, rocky habitats and have enlarged arolium claws and a close evolutionary relationship to Grylloblattodea. Sexual dimorphism exists where females are wider than males. The order was established in 2002 and they exhibit characteristics of hemimetabolous development, filiform antennae, mandibulate mouthparts, and five segmented tarsi.

1. AEN 201 FUNDAMENTALS OF ENTOMOLOGY
ASSIGNMENT ON:
ORDER: MANTOPHASMATODEA
COURSE TEACHER:
Mr.P.K.Muthu Kumar, Asst Prof.,(Agrl Entomology)
PRESENTED BY:
S.Naven kumar(2016021023)

2. Mantophasmatodea
Number of Species
Common names
Distinguishing
characteristics
Other features
Typical habitats
Hexapod Orders
-8
-African rock crawlers,
gladiators, heelwalkers
-Manto - mantid, phasmato
-stick insect
-xeric, rocky
habitat
-wingless
-enlarged arolium
-closest relative
- Grylloblattodea
-carnivores

3. SEXUAL DIMORPHISM
• Female abdomen is widest in the middle
• In Male, it is widest near the tip
• Males are considerably smaller and always
slender than females.
• Note:
The order mantophasmatodea was erected in
2002.

4. IMPORTANT CHARACTER:
• Hemimetabola
• Antenna slender, filiform.
• Mouth parts-mandibulate.
• Head is hypognathus.
• Tarsi five segmented
• Secondarily wingless
• Cerci short, one segmented

5. Mantophasmatodea - Relationship to other orthopteroid orders
Predatory adaptations -mantids
Wingless -grylloblattids
Male much smaller than female -mantids
Male eaten after mating -mantids
Prolonged mating -phasmids

6. Gladiator

7. Mantophasmatodea - Life cycle
Eggs hatch - juveniles
develop in winter (wet)
months
Autumn rains
(May)
Mating
Eggs laid in egg pod
-resists desiccation

8. Mantophasmatodea - Predatory adaptations
Large eyes
Spines on forelegs

9. Thank you