Heel-Walkers or Gladiators: Mantophasmatodea - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Conservation Status, Gladiator (praedatophasma Maraisi): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, HEEL-WALKERS AND PEOPLE
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All thirteen living species are found in Africa in Namibia, South Africa, and Tanzania. Two fossil species preserved in amber were found in Russia.
They are found in dry, scrubby habitats that receive little rain. Heel-walkers live down inside tufts of grass or grasslike plants, where they blend in perfectly thanks to their spotted and striped bodies.
They eat various kinds of insects, including each other, grasping and holding their prey with their strong and spiny front and middle legs. Heel-walkers will eat all but the wings and legs.
Each species of heel-walker lives in a very small area, and their populations are widely separated. The fact that they are distributed this way makes them especially interesting to scientists that study the distributions of animals in southern Africa.
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Heel-walkers are brown, gray, green, or yellow and are sometimes marked with darker dots or stripes. The sides of their midsection, or thorax, are sometimes spiny. They measure 0.35 to 0.94 inches (9 to 24 millimeters) in length. The males are usually smaller than the females. Both sexes are wingless and resemble young mantids or stick insects. The larvae (LAR-vee), or young form of the animal tha…
Heel-walkers usually live alone, but pairs of males and females are often found together in the same tuft of grass. Populations are usually concentrated in small patches within a much larger area of suitable habitat. They appear to be active day and night, moving very slowly through the grass. However, they can move quickly to capture prey or while mating. The common name "heel-walker…
Physical characteristics: The gray bodies of gladiators measure 0.8 to 1.2 inches (20 to 30 millimeters) in length. They have round heads and large eyes. The antennae are threadlike and nearly as long as the body. The front and middle legs, as well as the sides of the thorax, are spiny. Geographic range: They are found in the Karasburg Region, southern Namibia. Habitat: Gladiators are found near t…
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