Top 10 Interesting Mantis Facts

Praying mantis is an insect that is surprising. His habits, behavioral patterns can shock many people who were previously unfamiliar with this creature. The insect often appears in ancient myths and legends from different countries – in China, for example, praying mantises were considered the standard of greed and stubbornness. It is hard to believe that these crumbs are very cruel. Dealing with their prey at a slow pace, these ruthless insects enjoy the process.

We have tried to collect for you the most interesting facts about praying mantises – incredible insects! Taking a little time to read, you will learn something new – something with which you can surprise your friends and demonstrate your broad outlook.

10 It got its name from the structure of the legs.

Praying mantises have interestingly folded front paws. When the insect is motionless – his paws are raised and folded in such a way that they resemble a pose in prayer. But in fact, at this moment he does not pray at all, but hunts …

The praying mantis is indeed a very bloodthirsty creature – it could well be called a killer or even a cannibal. During his hunt, he sits motionless, putting forward his front paw. It looks like a trap – it is.

A praying mantis can grab an insect that passes by at any second. To keep the prey of this bloodthirsty creature, sharp notches, which are located on the paws on the inside, help.

9. In 50% of cases, females eat males.

This fact will probably shock you! Get ready… After mating, the female praying mantis bites off the male’s head.. The reasons for this are banal – after exercise, the female has a feeling of hunger, and the effect of sex hormones leads to an increase in aggressiveness in her behavior.

In fact, only 50% of the time the female satisfies her hunger with her sexual partner. The male is much smaller in size, and therefore more agile. He himself decides whether to become a dinner for his partner or “retreat”. Males try to approach the female with great care so as not to catch her eye.

8. For some species of praying mantis, mating is not necessary.

You already know that after mating, the female eats the male (and sometimes during intercourse). This is due to the greater need for protein in the female when carrying fertilized eggs. At the onset of autumn, females increase their appetite – they eat a lot, because of which their stomach swells. From this, they begin to move more slowly, preparing to lay eggs.

Not all praying mantises need mating to lay eggs.. Before the start of their laying, the female chooses a necessarily flat surface, and then forms a foamy substance on which the eggs are strengthened.

7. Able to camouflage by changing color

The praying mantis is an amazing creature in every way! You can meet both green and sand mantis … How do they change color? The fact is that the color of the insect is very variable – it varies from green to dark brown. Camouflage helps them to adapt to the background, merging with it: whether it is earth or grass

. Praying mantises deftly merge with the surface on which they had to be in the first days after the molting process. And finally – this happens in a brightly lit area.

6. Turns head 180 degrees

The praying mantis has incredible powers. Its head is very mobile, equipped with keen eyes. This is the only insect that can turn its head 180 degrees in different directions., thus giving him a wide view (yes, many would dream of such an ability!)

In addition, despite the fact that praying mantises have only one ear, they hear everything perfectly, and thanks to the rotation of the head, not a single future victim of the praying mantis can escape from him …

5. Included in the order of cockroaches

If you look at a praying mantis (for example, the one that lives in Asia), you will notice a strong resemblance to another representative of the insect world – a cockroach. And there is – the praying mantis belongs to the order of cockroaches. In the narrow sense of the word, cockroaches are united by the same type and anatomical features of the wings and mouth organs. It is noteworthy that the structure of the ootheca in cockroaches and praying mantises is different.

Interesting fact: the praying mantis grows up to 11 cm in length – this fact can scare those who are disgusted by insects.

4. Praying mantises are predators

So, you have already learned that the praying mantis is a predatory insect. Let’s talk about this in more detail. This insect lives throughout the globe, perhaps with the exception of the polar regions, and adapts perfectly to different conditions. It prefers hot climates. The appearance of this creature resembles an alien! He has a triangular head, one ear, two compound eyes.

Mantis – 100% predator. This is a rather voracious insect that can consume thousands of butterflies, cockroaches, grasshoppers and dragonflies in just a couple of months. Larger individuals dare to attack even mice, birds and frogs.

The praying mantis never eats dead insects – its prey must be alive, in addition, it is desirable that it resist … The praying mantis sits motionless in anticipation of the victim, and as soon as it approaches, the predator grabs it with its front paws, tightly fixing the prey with spikes. No one can get out of the grip of the praying mantis…

The feast begins with biting off living flesh – the praying mantis watches with enthusiasm how his victim is tormented. But that’s not the whole story about the praying mantis – sometimes they devour each other.

3. More than two thousand species of praying mantis have been identified

On our planet, there are about 2000 species of praying mantis, it is interesting that they all differ very much from each other in their lifestyle and color.. The most common are common praying mantises (48-75 mm) – in Russia they are most often found in the steppes, as well as in southern Siberia, the Far East, the North Caucasus, Central Asia, etc.

Desert species of these insects are characterized by small size and in the process of movement they resemble tiny workers – ants. The most common color in praying mantises is green and white-yellow. On average, an insect lives for about a year.

2. Females prefer not to fly

For hours, and sometimes even days, the praying mantis sits without moving. It fits perfectly into the environment, so the chance to notice it is minimal.

Despite the well-developed wings, the praying mantis moves very slowly, and if we talk about flights, it does it very badly. A slowly flying insect that can be seen from afar is an easy prey for birds, therefore without special need, the praying mantis does not fly, and females generally fly on the wing only in the most extreme cases – this is too risky. They are larger than males and their wings are rather weak.

1. The ancient Egyptians worshiped praying mantises

Praying mantises are rather ancient insects that have become known for their fearless disposition and unusual appearance. In ancient Egypt, this amazing insect left its mark in the form of an image on the tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh – Ramses II.

Religious Egyptians even mummified them. The praying mantis was entitled to his sarcophagus and the afterlife. Archaeologists in 1929 opened such a sarcophagus, but the mummy fell apart too quickly, but remained in the photographs.