Praying mantis What do you know about these animals?

Belonging to the mantis order, a word that comes from the Greek and refers to a fortune teller or a prophet, this insect that seems to be praying, especially when it joins its long front legs, has always aroused much curiosity in humans.We reveal some true information about the praying mantis.

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Praying mantis.What do you know about these animals?

To begin with, we place the mantis in its habitat: of the approximately 2,000 species of this insect described to date, about 80% live in tropical or temperate countries.

The praying mantis is a medium-sized insect, of approximately 4 to 5 cm, with a long thorax and thin antennae.It has two large compound eyes and three small simple eyes between them.The head can rotate up to 180º.Its front legs, that keeps collected before the head, are provided with thorns to hold their pre sas.

Praying mantis What do you know about these animals?

The praying mantis has two large compound eyes

Despite its name, the praying mantis is a fantastic predator that camouflages very well between the plants of their habitat and wait patiently for their prey, among which are moths, crickets, grasshoppers and other insects, and even, sometimes, they eat those of their own species.

Reproduction of the praying mantis

Yes, it is true, mantis females often eat the heads of their sexual partners and, if the copula has already begun, this fact helps for the male to expel much more sperm, since he stops controlling his actions and is completely disinhibited, but the reality is that sexual cannibalism occurs mainly in predatory mantis species that live in captivity and are pushed to do so by scientists in their laboratories.If the mantis is poorly fed, it will take advantage of the act or sexual to meet two vital needs: feed and reproduce.

In freedom, the mating season in temperate climates usually takes place in autumn, while in tropical areas, mating can occur at any time of the anus.To mate, after courtship, the male usually jumps on the female's back, joining the thorax and the bases of his wings with the front legs, then arches his abdomen to deposit and store sperm in a special chamber nearby from the tip of the female's abdomen.This lays between 100 and 400 eggs, depending on the species.The eggs are normally deposited in a foam mass produced by glands in the abdomen.This foam hardens , creating a protective capsule that, together with the egg mass, is called an ovotec.Depending on the species, the ovotec can be attached to a flat surface, wrapped around a plant or even deposited on the ground.e the versatility and durability of eggs are often predated, especially by several species of parasitic wasps.

Praying mantis What do you know about these animals?

Mantis, about to lay their eggs

The eggs usually hatch in 4-6 weeks and only a few survive, since among them juvenile cannibalism prevails.they emerge with an appearance very similar to that of their parents, but on a tiny scale, and those who survive do so for about a year.

Is the mantis poisonous?

The poisonous praying mantis does not exist, it is another of the legends that are explained about this insect.It is a totally harmless species: it has neither poison nor itches, and although it can bite, its chewing apparatus is too small to pierce the skin.Not only is it not poisonous but it can be very beneficial for man, since it eats a large number of insects that can be annoying and even harmful to health.

Western countries are usually a little appreciated insect, but there are countries that consider them sacred animals and were I inspire you.For example, the Great Masters of the Shaolin Temple speak of two martial arts developed from the movements and strategies of struggle of the praying mantis.As one of these arts was developed in the north of China and the other in the south of the country, nowadays they are known as «Mantis Religiosa del Norte» and « Mantis Religiosa del Sur ».Both are very popular in China and have also been exported to the West in recent decades.

Other mantis species

As we have said there are many mantis species and although the best known is the religious one there are also other interesting ones:

Orchid mantis

The orchid mantis a beautiful light colored mantis, with lobes in its legs that look like flower petals.Although this species does not live on orchids, it has an extraordinary resemblance to this flower.This species is very popular and beloved for its bright colors and impressive camouflage.Its natural habitat is in Malaysia.

Praying mantis What do you know about these animals?

The orchid mantis is distinguished by its bright colors

Arizona unicorn mantis

It is a mantis native to North America similar to a stick.Its name is due to a cone in the middle of the head, which looks like a unicorn horn! If you look closely, you can see that this mantis has two small "horns", next to each other.In freedom, it is especially found in Arizona.It is not common to find it in captivity.

Phantom mantis

The phantom mantis is a species with a beautiful leaf-shaped body.Normally it is dark brown, but it can also be sand or green.The natural habitat of this phantom mantis is on the island of Madagascar and Continental Africa: It is known as a ghost because of the conical shape of its head.

Now that you know almost everything about the praying mantis, you may also be interested, 8 giant insects of our planet

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