Review author: “ZooVita”
Among the many different insects, the praying mantis stands out especially. This unusual predatory insect belongs to the order of praying mantises, which has about three thousand species. It got its name due to its special hunting position.
When the mantis prepares to attack its prey, it folds its forelimbs like a prayer gesture, which resembles a person praying.
Appearance of a praying mantis
The size of mantises varies from 1 to 11 cm. Depending on the species, these insects can differ significantly from each other in color and shape. But the structure of different individuals is mostly the same.
Praying mantises have a movable triangular head, a long elongated body, three pairs of limbs and two pairs of wings. The forelimbs are used for grasping prey, they are covered with spines and resemble a folding pocketknife. The four hind legs are thin and long, designed for locomotion.
Thanks to their green-yellow protective coloration, praying mantises are perfectly camouflaged among plants. Depending on the habitat, there are individuals of other colors: shades of gray and brown, as well as white, pink, orange and black.
What a praying mantis looks like depends largely on its environment. Thus, praying mantises that live and hunt in grass have a thin body, similar to a blade of grass or a stick.
Tropical mantises, on the other hand, have a wide, flat body that resembles a tree leaf.
Orchid mantises are skilled at hiding in flowers due to special lobes on their legs, indistinguishable in shape from orchid petals.
Origin of the species and description
Photo: Bogomol
Praying mantises are not just a species, but an entire suborder of arthropod insects with many species, numbering up to two thousand. They all have the same habits and similar body structure, differing only in color, size and habitat. All praying mantises are predatory insects, absolutely ruthless and incredibly voracious, which slowly deal with their prey, enjoying the whole process.
Video: Praying Mantis
The praying mantis received its academic name back in the 18th century. The famous naturalist Carl Lynaeus gave this creature the name “Mantis religiosa” or “religious priest” due to the insect’s unusual posture while in ambush, which was similar to the posture of a praying person. In some countries, this strange insect has less euphonious names because of its creepy habits; for example, in Spain, the mantis is known as the “devil’s horse.”
The praying mantis is an ancient insect and there is still debate in the scientific community about its origin. Some believe that this species came from ordinary cockroaches, others have a different opinion, giving them a separate evolutionary path.
Interesting fact: One of the styles of Chinese martial arts Wushu is called praying mantis. An ancient legend says that a Chinese peasant came up with this style while watching the exciting battles of these predatory insects.
Habitat of praying mantises
Praying mantises are widespread in areas with tropical and subtropical climates. They love warmth, so they thrive in humid forests and deserts. These insects can also be found in places with a temperate climate, mainly in steppes and meadows.
Most praying mantis species live in Central and Southern Asia, Australia, South America and Africa. In the European part they are also found, although much less frequently. They can be found in the countries of southern Europe, where it is dry and hot.
Hot Summer
The appearance of mantises in the public domain is explained, on the one hand, by the fact that they had a favorable winter, and on the other, by the warm spring and hot summer.
— Insects reach the adult stage in July-August. It’s warm now, which is why southern insects have become so active and catch a person’s eye,” continues the entomologist.
The praying mantis usually hunts during the day, but you can also meet it at night - the insects willingly fly into artificial light. Green and brown praying mantises appear in photographs. This is the same species, clarifies Zhukov .
— The common praying mantis can be of two colors. The classic color is green, less often pink-brown. The appearance of insects depends on the substrate on which it lives.
Have you seen a praying mantis yet this year? Send photos to us on social networks “VKontakte”, “Odnoklassniki”, “Instagram”, “Telegram”.
What do praying mantises eat?
Representatives of the order of praying mantises are considered especially dangerous predators, because mantises eat their arthropod counterparts: arachnids, insects and even other mantises. Moreover, cases of their attacks on vertebrates have been recorded. Large individuals ate snakes, frogs, small rodents, lizards and birds.
It is a known fact that female praying mantises eat males in almost half of the cases after mating. This cannibalism is explained by the fact that the female in this way compensates for the lack of proteins in the body that she needs to reproduce offspring.
In some cases, her own fragile cubs may become victims of her gluttony.
Can be picked up
For the sake of a beautiful photo, people put a praying mantis on their hand. And that's okay. Insects are not afraid of people; they are often kept as pets and fed with small bugs using tweezers.
— Praying mantises are, of course, predators, but they do not pose a danger to humans. They won’t bite through the skin,” says the entomologist.
Mantises show their predatory nature almost from birth. They emerge from the egg and begin to actively feed on other insects. And not only them. A praying mantis larva may well snack on its sister. In adulthood, mantis cannibalism occurs during mating, when the female eats the male.
- They do this so that biological material does not disappear. In insects, the male still dies after mating, but here the consumption of nutrients and mating occur simultaneously,” says Ruslan .
Reproduction of praying mantises
Praying mantises reproduce by laying eggs. The female, using a special solidifying liquid, creates an ootheca - a capsule in which she lays from 10 to 400 eggs. Ootheca is most often located on tree branches, in crevices of tree bark, and under stones. After 1-6 months, larvae emerge from the capsule, which become full-fledged adults after 5-10 molts.
In the tropics and subtropics, praying mantises can breed throughout the year. However, in the temperate zone, eggs are laid closer to autumn, and the maturation of the larvae lasts throughout the winter. Of the three stages of the life cycle, only in the egg stage are mantises able to overwinter.
Social structure and reproduction
Photo: Male praying mantis
Mantises live from two months to one year; in rare cases, some individuals exceed the mark of one and a half years, but only in artificially created conditions. Young animals are capable of reproduction within a couple of weeks after birth. During their lives, females participate in mating games twice; males often do not survive the first breeding season, which in mid-latitudes usually begins in August and ends in September, and in warmer climates can last almost the entire year.
The male attracts the female with his dance and the secretion of a specific sticky secretion, by the smell of which she recognizes it as her kind and does not attack. The mating process can last from 6 to 8 hours, as a result of which not every future father is lucky - more than half of them are eaten by a hungry partner. The female lays eggs from 100 to 300 at a time on the edges of leaves or on the bark of trees. During laying, it secretes a special liquid, which then hardens, forming a cocoon or ootheca to protect the offspring from external factors.
The egg stage can last from several weeks to six months, depending on the air temperature, after which larvae crawl out into the world, which in appearance are radically different from their parents. The first moult occurs immediately after hatching and there will be at least four of them before they look like their adult relatives. The larvae develop very quickly, and after hatching they begin to feed on small flies and mosquitoes.
Lifestyle of a praying mantis
The lifespan of praying mantises ranges from several months to a year. They are active mainly during daylight hours, when they hunt. Most photos show the praying mantis in its signature hunting pose, in which it remains for a significant part of the day. While waiting for prey, it remains motionless, which is why it merges with the nature around it and becomes invisible both to future prey and to other predators.
If there is enough food in the place where the mantis lives, it may not leave it throughout its life. This insect moves reluctantly, mainly at night. With the help of its wings, it is able to cover short distances, for example, fly to a neighboring tree or climb to a higher branch.
Insect diet
The praying mantis and her prey.
Praying mantises are true predators. The largest representatives hunt frogs, birds, and lizards. It takes 3 hours to eat food. Prey is digested in up to 7 days. Usually the prey is flies, mosquitoes, moths, beetles, and bees.
Protective coloring helps to hunt. Thanks to it, insects wait for prey and remain unnoticed. A large victim is watched for a long time. When they overtake it, they jump and eat it. The reaction is caused by objects in motion. Pests are particularly voracious. The diet for a single meal contains from 5 to 7 cockroaches. First, the predator consumes soft tissues, and then all other parts. Mantises can live in one place if there is enough food there.
Who does the praying mantis fear?
The main enemies of praying mantises are birds, snakes, lizards, chameleons, some predatory insects and spiders. The praying mantis has several ways to protect itself from them.
First, swaying in an intimidating stance with the forelimbs raised up. With this pose, the praying mantis tries to appear larger in order to scare the offender.
Secondly, a special chirping sound, reminiscent of the hissing of snakes. It is created as a result of the friction of the wings on the abdomen.
Thirdly, there is a bright pattern on the wings, which the mantis spreads widely in case of danger. Some individuals have two dark spots on their wings, reminiscent of the eyes of a predator.
As a rule, the mantis will not be the first to attack a large animal or insect. However, when threatened, it will attempt to defend itself by biting or grabbing the enemy with its spiked front legs. If the attacker is significantly larger than the praying mantis, it is likely to fly away.
Character and lifestyle
By nature, praying mantises are loners. At night they hide in the foliage or fly. They hunt during the day, attacking from ambush. They leave their habitats extremely reluctantly, usually in search of food.
Female praying mantises are noticeably larger and heavier than males and fly less frequently.
Mantises tend to defend their habitat. In case of danger, they open their wings wide and make terrifying hissing sounds. Fights between brothers are not uncommon. The winner usually eats the loser.
The benefits and harms of the praying mantis for humans
The praying mantis can benefit people, namely gardeners and gardeners. Living in the garden, it will eat aphids, beetles and other pests, thereby eliminating the need to spray plants with insect poison.
But there is a drawback to this: praying mantises consume both harmful and beneficial insects with the same appetite. Therefore, it is worth keeping in mind that as a result of his help, the number of bees and butterflies will most likely decrease.
As such, the praying mantis cannot cause harm to people. It is not poisonous, does not spoil the harvest, and does not spread infection. The only thing that the praying mantis is dangerous for humans is its teeth and spiny front legs.
Large individuals are capable of biting or piercing human skin, leaving painful wounds. But an attack by a praying mantis is only possible if it is disturbed.
Children should be especially careful with them. In defense, the praying mantis very quickly jumps on the offender, which can greatly frighten the child. But, as a rule, there are no serious consequences after its bite. Therefore, we can say that there is no great harm or particular benefit from mantises to humans.
Mantis beetles have multiplied in Vladimir. Is there any danger in this?
“It’s difficult to say exactly whether we have an established population of mantises in the region or not; there is no clear opinion. But it is absolutely certain that over the past 10-15 years, local residents have consistently, if the summer is warm enough, discovered praying mantises. And not only in populated areas, that is, anthropogenic landscapes, but also in wild conditions in our region. Therefore, there are more and more prerequisites that he will even overwinter here, although this year the winter was quite severe.
As for mass meetings, this year the weather conditions were such that there was a warm spring and a hot summer. Mantises have a lot of eggs, so they can reproduce quite quickly if there are no predators. Most likely, they do not have specific enemies here, because they appeared in the region relatively recently. Accordingly, they feel comfortable because in the group of insects, in their ecological niche, they play the role of superpredators for us, that is, there is no species that poses a massive threat to them that would hunt them - well, except, maybe, birds, insectivores.
Because of this, frequent meetings with people. They mate in the spring, lay eggs, mature for a while, then hatch into little praying mantises that do not yet know how to fly. They begin to feed and grow intensively, and only just towards the end of the season - in August - do they reach a sexually mature state, and right now, the period of active spread begins. Praying mantises begin to fly from place to place to disperse so that there is not a high density of the species in the particular area where the breeding has occurred. And, accordingly, they become more noticeable at this stage, they are already flying - and more attention is paid to them.
These insects belong to the group of praying mantises. These are active predators, and they have such an interesting specialization - they are ambush predators, they have two types of camouflage, pigment camouflage and morphological camouflage in shape: in appearance they look like twigs. Why were they called praying mantises? Their forelimbs are retracted, invisible, with sharp spines with which they can hold prey very tightly. And so they sit on the tip of a branch, as if an extension of a twig, and wait for the victim to fly nearby. Their reflex is sharply triggered, their paws seem to shoot out with these sharp claws that are on their shins, and they sharply clamp the prey, and then eat it with their mandibles,” says Vladimir Gorkavy.
Photos of all types of praying mantis
Keeping at home
can live up to 1.5 years at home But they need appropriate conditions.
Terrarium
These insects require a small glass terrarium. Experts advise choosing it according to the size of your pet. It should be 3 times the length of the mantis in height. Inside the terrarium, twigs (artificial and live), moss, leaves, and coconut substrate are placed.
Conditions of detention
When choosing a terrarium, take into account the conditions of detention:
- Temperature. It should be between +25°C and +30°C. If necessary, additional heaters are used.
- Humidity. Praying mantises love high humidity, so the levels should be around 60%.
- too many praying mantises . One individual is enough in one terrarium, otherwise they will start eating each other.
Beginning praying mantis owners often have a question about how to determine the sex of a common mantis . As a rule, females are always significantly larger than males. In addition, it is possible to determine whether an insect belongs to one sex or another by the last segments.
Nutrition
Another problem is what to feed the praying mantis at home. This insect naturally hunts and immediately eats its prey. Therefore, it is recommended to feed the praying mantis in a terrarium with live food. Owners use aphids, locusts, grasshoppers, cockroaches, and various larvae. Some species happily feed on ants.
Nymphs are fed daily, adults are given food once every few days. The amount of food should correspond to the size of the insect. The praying mantis drinks water that is sprayed on the plants in the terrarium. It gets some of its moisture from food.
The mantis, the harm or benefit of this insect, has long been known.
As a predator, praying mantises support the natural abundance of insect pests in nature. But if there are too many praying mantises, they can destroy many beneficial insects (bees, etc.). Post Views: 613
Precautionary measures
However, it should be remembered that an attack and bite from a praying mantis can be dangerous for children, especially young ones. Children, thanks to their curiosity and restlessness, can hunt these funny insects. An aggressive or frightened mantis may attack and harm your baby:
- A child can be very frightened if he is attacked by a large, rather scary-looking insect.
- The praying mantis more often injures the thin skin of children than the skin of adults.
Therefore, while in the wild, you should carefully look around so as not to accidentally disturb a praying mantis that is hunting or in the process of mating. It is necessary to explain to children that they cannot catch insects and hunt them.
Habitat and body structure features
This large insect is distributed throughout almost all of Eurasia, excluding the Far North, as well as in Africa and America. In addition to its rather impressive size and extreme aggression, it is characterized by agility, endurance, and excellent camouflage ability.
Not everyone knows that praying mantises are quite dangerous predatory insects. These fragile-looking creatures often attack not only their own kind, but also animals whose size exceeds their own.
As a rule, in preparation for an attack, the insect swings its body up and down, reminiscent of a person praying. His head is unique in that it can rotate 180 degrees. The praying mantis itself, despite its apparent sluggishness and slowness, is capable of fairly rapid lunges and pursuits. Although in most cases it takes a wait-and-see attitude, camouflaging itself in the grass or bushes.
