- For the self-defence technique, see Praying mantis kung fu.
Carolina Mantis in praying position
A praying mantis, or praying mantid, is a kind of insect, of the family Mantidae (order
Mantodea), named for their "prayer-like" stance. (The word mantis in Greek
means prophet.) There are approximately 2,000 species world-wide; most are tropical or subtropical. There are three
species of praying mantises that are common to North America: the European mantis (Mantis religiosa), the Chinese mantis (Tenodera aridifolia sinensis), and the Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis carolina). The English and Chinese species were introduced to the
United States around the 1900s as garden predators hoping to control the pest populations.
Mantids are notable for their large size and nimble reflexes. Their diet usually consists of living insects, including flies and aphids; larger species have been known to prey on small lizards, frogs, birds and even rodents. A mantid's prey is caught and held securely with its grasping forelegs. Mantids make
use of protective colouration to blend in with the foliage, both to avoid predators themselves, and to better snare their
victims.
Mantids are also known to be cannibals. They are not only known to eat other insects but also other mantids, especially their
mating partners. During the mating season, which typically begins in autumn, male mantids are cautious when approaching female
mantids. The male usually approaches from behind and hangs onto the female's back with his front legs. He then deposits and
stores sperm cells into a special chamber in the female abdomen. The danger may occur during the mating process or afterwards
where the female mantis devours her male mate, sometimes starting by biting off his head. Usually the male mantids will try to
get the job done before they are eaten, even if it means performing the task while they are being eaten. Aldous Huxley made philosophical observations about the nature of death while two
mantids mated in the sight of two characters in the novel Island. The species was Gongylus gongylodes.
The praying mantis goes through three stages of metamorphosis: egg,
nymph, and adult. Scientists also refer this to an incomplete metamorphosis because the nymph and adult insect look so much alike
except it is smaller and has no wings. A mantis nymph increases in size by replacing its outer body covering with a sturdy,
flexible exoskeleton and molting
when needed. This can happen up to five to ten times, depending on the species. After the final molt it should have full grown
wings.
References Natures's Best Masked Flower Image http://www.maskedflowerimages.com/mantis.htm
See also
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