Parktown prawn
| Parktown prawn | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Suborder: | Ensifera |
| Family: | Anostostomatidae |
| Genus: | Libanasidus |
| Species: | L. vittatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Libanasidus vittatus W. F. Kirby, 1899 |
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The Parktown prawn aka Parkmore prawn aka Parkhurst prawn, Libanasidus vittatus, is a monotypic species of king cricket found in Southern Africa. Although a member of the cricket order Orthoptera, it is placed in the family Anostostomatidae, separate from that of the true crickets, Gryllidae. The insect gets its English name from the suburbs of Parktown, Parkmore and Parkhurst in Johannesburg, South Africa where they are frequently found. In Angola, it is found in the southern savanna and semi-arid regions, whereas in Namibia it is found throughout the territory. The Parktown prawn is also related to the New Zealand tree weta which is also in the family Anostostomatidae.
A fancied resemblance to a prawn accounts for its name. The Parktown prawn is held in low regard by some, while gardeners value them for controlling garden snail populations and attracting the Hadeda Ibis.
The animal is omnivorous, feeding on a variety of food including snails, and vegetable matter. In urban environments, they will readily take food made available by suburban dwellers, including cat food, and dog food. Adults are usually around 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 5 cm (2.0 in) in length, with 2 cm (0.79 in) antennae.
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[edit] History and discovery
The insect was not known within Johannesburg before the 1960s, the first known specimen being found in Barberton in 1899 by William Forsell Kirby.[1][2] They only became prevalent after 1960, when Johannesburg began to expand rapidly in size and population. The reason for the increase in the insects' numbers is not known, although they have done much better in an urban environment than in the wild, and it is therefore clear that some important controlling factor is absent in its new habitat.
Johannesburg, being part of the South African highveld, has a dry climate, which was unsuitable habitat for the Parktown prawn. With the arrival of suburban dwellers, cultivation provided lush, forest-like gardens, an environment more suited to the crickets which helped the insect thrive.[3] Johannesburg's suburbs are considered to be one of the world's largest man-made forests,[4] being very green and leafy, representing a total transformation of local flora.
[edit] Description
The Parktown prawn is one of the larger insects found in Johannesburg homes. A large specimen may grow to be 10 cm (3.9 in) or more, with long whip-like antennae extending to 10 cm (3.9 in), but are usually around 4 cm (1.6 in) to 5 cm (2.0 in) in length, with 2 cm (0.79 in) antennae. The exoskeleton is orange to light brown, with darker brown or black stripes along the thorax and abdomen, which gives it a toxic look to would-be aggressors. The legs have downward-facing hooked barbs, which allow it climb up walls and trees. A large specimen can jump more than a metre high.
The male insect sports a strong set of mandibles, although the need for them is not fully known, other than for use in self-defence against other males.[1][5] The female has a well-developed ovipositor, through which she will lay between 80 and 200 eggs during mating season in damp or wet topsoil.
[edit] Diet
The Parktown prawn is typically omnivorous, feeding on slugs, snails, and cutworms, as well as vegetable matter.[1] They have been seen feeding on dog food, cat food, dead birds, as well as dry oatmeal and fallen fruit.[6] They are also known to chew on wooden floor boards and wooden furniture. Gardens that have a high population of Parktown prawns will have almost no snails, thus, they can be considered an effective and natural form of pest control. Among their natural predators are the Hadeda Ibis, Fiscal Shrike and Helmeted Guineafowl, three birds in the urban habitat that are able to take on the considerable size of the Parktown prawn.
[edit] Relationship with humans
They are considered pests by some South Africans, and held in high regard by others. They are most visibly prevalent after rain during summer, which is when they are most likely to be found indoors. Parktown prawns seem to be more active at night.
The Parktown prawn is capable of large jumps when threatened, often ejecting an offensive black fecal liquid.
A popular urban legend, fuelled by April Fools' Day articles published by the Johannesburg newspaper The Star, tells that the Parktown prawn was actually the result of an escaped genetic experiment by students from the University of the Witwatersrand in the 1960s (thus explaining the insects' sudden arrival in Johannesburg at that time). The insect's unusual strength, vivid orange colouring and size are seen to 'confirm' this urban legend.
The resilience and strength of the Parktown prawn allowed two cartoon versions to become objects of humour in the well known South African cartoon strip Madam & Eve, inspiring fear in Gwen Anderson and Eve Sisulu. In the cartoons, the Parktown prawns get 'high' on insecticide (in reference to their size and how much poison is required to kill them), and produce two cricket-shaped indentations on the bottom of a frying pan with which they are swatted, in reference to their hard exoskeletons.
In the 1980s Andrew Buckland's acclaimed play 'The Ugly Noo Noo' used Parktown Prawns as part of an extended parody of South African politics of the time.[7]
Neill Blomkamp's film District 9 features an alien race some humans disparagingly refer to as prawns. Some film critics have speculated that the appearance of the aliens was inspired by the Parktown prawn.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Mcneil, Donald G. (24 March 1999). "These Streets Belong to the Pre-Millennium Bug". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/24/world/johannesburg-journal-these-streets-belong-to-the-pre-millennium-bug.html. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ "Johannesburg's Garden Invader - The Parktown Prawn". Intekom.com. 1999. http://home.intekom.com/intekom/parktown_prawns/. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ "History of the Parktown Prawn". Intekom.com. 1999. http://home.intekom.com/intekom/parktown_prawns/history.htm. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ "Jozi's urban forest now at 10m trees, and growing". Official Website of the City of Johannesburg. 8 September 2004. http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/408/201/. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
- ^ "Appearance of the Parktown Prawn". Intekom.com. 1999. http://home.intekom.com/intekom/parktown_prawns/appearance.htm. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ "The Diet of the Parktown Prawn". Intekom.com. 1999. http://home.intekom.com/intekom/parktown_prawns/diet.htm. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ "Dispatch Online - Your premier Eastern Cape news site". Dispatch.co.za. 30 March 2006. http://www.dispatch.co.za/2006/03/30/entertainment/whatson.html. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
