Got anything cool on mantophasmids (gladiators)? :0
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Did you know that the West Wind Gladiator (Mantophasma zephyra) is a species of mantophasmid endemic to Namibia and not a stage name for a Roman fighter? First described as a new order in 2002, not much has been studied in regards to these insects. This was one the first two members of said order to be described, leading to other similar insects in southern Africa to be placed in the order as well.
Common Name: “rock crawlers”, “gladiators”, “heelwalkers”, “mantophasmids”, or “mantos”
Families: 1 - Mantophasmatidae
Anatomy: long, thin, flexible body; long antennae; long legs; no wings; chewing mouthparts; superficially resemble mantises and stick insects
Diet: smaller arthropods
Metamorphosis: hemimetabolous
Habitat: rock crevices, dense grasses, and bushes in Africa, south of the equator
Evolved in: Middle Jurassic
(source)
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Voting ended onOct 17, 2025
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Mantophasmatodea were initially described only from old museum specimens known from Namibia and Tanzania, and from a 45-million-year-old specimen in Baltic amber. The first live specimens were not discovered until 2002, during an expedition in Namibia, with Tyrannophasma gladiator found on the Brandberg Massif, and Mantophasma zephyra (image 1) found on the Erongoberg Massif. Since then, a number of new genera and species have been discovered, the most recent being Kuboesphasma compactum and Minutophasma richtersveldense, described from Richtersveld in South Africa in 2018. They are still the smallest and rarest order of insects, with only a handful of species known.
Being described in 2002, Mantophasmatodea is the first new insect order since Grylloblattodea was described in 1915.
Recent evidence suggests the mantophasmids are most closely related to Grylloblattodea (the “icebugs” or “ice crawlers”), with some scientists even placing the two within the same order, Notoptera. I would have put the two families in the same poll, had this schedule not been published so far in advance, tbh.
Mantophasmids have a courtship ritual wherein they communicate using vibrations transmitted through the ground or substrate. Males will drum their abdomen on the ground, on branches, or on grass stalks to attract females, producing a complex pulse train that likely contains coding for species recognition, while the female will respond with more simple repeating pulses. Once both partners have located each other, they will approach, flicking their antennae until they are touching. Males will mount quickly, as there is a possibility of being eaten by a hungry female if she gets impatient. Females are much larger than males, and will often continue walking, grooming herself, stalking, and even catching prey while the male is still mounted on her. Males lose a significant amount of weight during copulation, as mating can take several hours and they do not feed or drink during this time. Follow bestanimal for more Bug Sex Facts.
In South Africa, a stamp featuring art of two mantophasmids was issued in 2008 to commemorate the International Congress of Entomology held in Durban.
Mantophasmids are highly flexible, and are known for being able to curl their whole body into a ball so that they can groom their backside, similar to a cat. Also like cats, they can twist their bodies when falling to ensure they always land on their feet.
do you guys know about mantophasmids. sometimes you find out that there are entire insect orders you've never heard of and nobody ever talks about them. i cannot stress enough how much this thing looks like a bug someone made up by mashing various other bugs together
