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Gladiator

Insects

Gladiators, also called heelwalkers, are wingless, carnivorous insects of the order Mantophasmatodea, first described as a distinct living order in 2002 after related fossils had long been known, making them one of the most recently recognized insect orders. Found only in parts of southern Africa, they get the name heelwalker from a distinctive habit of walking with the tips of their legs raised off the ground, and they are predators of smaller arthropods.

Facts
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
is the largest known species of gladiator, measuring up to 32 mm (1.3 in) in length 1
Scientific Name
Tyrannophasma gladiator 1
Sources
1. Tyrannophasma - Wikipedia
  • Introduction
    It is a monotypic genus consisting of the species Tyrannophasma gladiator, which is endemic to the Brandberg Massif of central Namibia
  • Introduction [distinguishing-appearance]
    is the largest known species of gladiator, measuring up to 32 mm (1.3 in) in length
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