“Praying mantis is a fascinating bugger that belongs to the larger group of insects. One of the ancient critters, praying mantises have got recognition because of their “raptorial legs”. Though a mantis comes with six legs but its front legs make it one of the deadliest insects on the planet. Whenever it senses any danger or it is about to ambush its live prey, it stands still in an eerie posture, that involves its front legs in a ‘praying position’. That is the reason why a mantis is named as ‘praying mantis’. But, actually it is not praying, it’s ‘preying position’,” Pestwiki.com.
Wikipedia reports that “Mantises are an order of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 430 genera in 15 families. The largest family is the Mantidae. Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks”.
Unique Mantis Facts
By any name, these fascinating insects are formidable predators. National Geographic describes some of their unique traits / facts:
- Triangular heads poised on a long “neck,” or elongated thorax.
- Can turn their heads 180 degrees to scan their surroundings.
- They have two large compound eyes and three other simple eyes located between them.
- Well camouflaged in a green or brown color on the plants among which they live.
- Lie in ambush or patiently stalk their quarry.
- Use their front legs to snare their prey with reflexes so quick that they are difficult to see with the naked eye.
- Their legs have spikes for snaring prey and pinning it in place.
- Eat moths, crickets, grasshoppers, flies, and other insects.
- They will eat others of their own kind. Adult female, who sometimes eats her mate just after—or even during—mating.
- Females regularly lay hundreds of eggs in a small case.
- Nymphs hatch looking much like tiny versions of their parents.
Are They Dangerous?
Pestwiki comments that “people often ask this question whether praying mantis bites its pray or does it sting. The first thing to know is that a praying mantis is a non-aggressive carnivorous insect. Uninterested in humans, mantises have no known venomous species discovered so far. But it displays the deadliest behavior, when it stalks its prey or when it is attacked or provoked by any predator (including human). Praying mantis is not poisonous neither it has any stingers. Most interestingly, it uses its forelegs’ spikes to protect itself. The prominent forelegs are lined with outnumbered sharp spines to aid it in griping its prey item tightly. These needle-like spines are enough to get pierced in the skin. If something like that happens to you, simply wash the skin with soap and apply some first aid ointment on the affected area”.
Flower Mantises
“Flower mantises are those species of praying mantis that mimic flowers. Their behavior varies, but they usually climb a plant until they reach a suitable flower and then they stay still until their prey comes within range. Some species of flower mantis are also popular as pets describes,” List25.com.
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