Gongylus gongylodes
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Gongylus gongylodes, also known as the wandering violin mantis, ornate mantis, or Indian rose mantis, is a species of praying mantis in the family Empusidae. Characterized by extremely slender limbs with large appendages, it is not a particularly aggressive species and often kept as a pet. The mantis is especially known for swaying its body back and forth to imitate a stick flowing in the wind.
It primarily feeds on flying insects. Its native range is in southern India and Sri Lanka. It can reach up to 11 cm (4.3 in) long. The males of the species are capable of flight. They are a communal species, in that they are able to live and breed in large groups, without unnecessary cannibalism.
Adult females are about 10cm (3 in) and adult males are about 9 cm. Its specific name gongylodes means "roundish" in Greek, from the same word as its generic epithet Gongylus. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Wandering Violin Mantis sighting in Salem on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 54th most-seen of the 99 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–February and August
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Wandering Violin Mantis in Salem on a given day, against under 5% in March–April and September–October, the lowest months. Those are among Salem's driest months, with about 35 mm of rain a month against 160 mm in October.
Yes
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Wandering Violin Mantis sightings, Salem has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Ponnani (India, about 10%) and Chennai (India, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Wandering Violin Mantis is recorded against all the insects logged in Salem (19 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
