The life and habits of the praying mantis are surrounded by mysteries and legends. They feed not only on other species of living beings, sometimes twice as large, but also on relatives. Many people have heard that the female praying mantis eats her partner after her “wedding night.” If an insect is able to eat its own kind, then quite naturally there is a fear that the predator poses a threat to humans as well.
Next we will talk about these amazing insects in order to understand how the praying mantis can be dangerous and useful for humans.
Description and habitat of the praying mantis
The body structure of praying mantises is very specific. The abdomen is very elongated. The triangular head is located on a kind of neck and is very mobile. The praying mantis can rotate its head almost 3600. 5 eyes on the head (2 paired faceted and 3 unpaired between the antennae) make vision the main sense organ of this insect. Antennae can be of different shapes and lengths; this is one of the species characteristics of insects.
The wings are well developed in males. Females, as a rule, are much larger than males in size, and their wings are less developed; they fly close and reluctantly.
The hind limbs - long walking legs - allow you to keep the rear end of the body always raised above the ground. The forelimbs are equipped with sharp spines for holding prey.
The praying mantis is a diurnal hunter, capable of sitting in ambush for hours, merging with the surrounding landscape. It attacks the victim from behind with lightning speed and immediately starts eating. Only living creatures are suitable for praying mantises as food. No matter how hungry a predator is, he will not be tempted by carrion.
Bolivaria shortwing
Mantises live almost everywhere, except for the northernmost territories of the planet.
Their food is mainly insects. Among others, praying mantises eat pests such as aphids, flies, and mosquitoes, thereby benefiting humans.
Interesting! Why does the female praying mantis still eat the male? By the way, this does not always happen. And the explanation is simple: the female needs additional protein to produce eggs, which she literally receives from the body of her partner.
Appearance and features
Photo: What a praying mantis looks like
Almost all types of mantises have an elongated body of a special structure. The triangular, highly mobile head can rotate 360 degrees. The insect's compound eyes are located on the lateral edges of the head and have a complex structure; at the base of the whiskers there are three more ordinary eyes. The oral apparatus is of the gnawing type. The antennae may be filiform or comb-like, depending on the species.
The pronotum rarely overlaps the insect's head; the abdomen itself consists of ten segments. The last section of the abdomen ends with paired appendages of multiple segments, which are the organs of smell. The forelimbs are equipped with strong spines that help to capture prey. Almost all praying mantises have well-developed front and rear pairs of wings, thanks to which the insect can fly. The narrow, dense wings of the front pair protect the second pair of wings. The hind wings are wide with many membranes, folded in the form of a fan.
The color of the insect can be different: from dark brown to bright green and even pink-lilac, with a characteristic pattern and spots on the wings. There are very large individuals, reaching 14-16 cm in length, and there are also very small specimens up to 1 cm.
Particularly interesting species:
- The common mantis is the most common species. The size of the insect's body reaches 6-7 centimeters and has a green or brown color with a characteristic dark spot on the front legs on the inside;
- Chinese species - has very large sizes up to 15 cm, the colors are the same as those of ordinary mantises, and is distinguished by its nocturnal lifestyle;
- the spike-eyed mantis is an African giant that can disguise itself as dry twigs;
- orchid - the most beautiful of the species, got its name due to its similarity with the flower of the same name. Females grow up to 8 mm, males are half as large;
- flower Indian and spiny species - are distinguished by their bright coloring with a characteristic spot on the front wings in the form of an eye. They live in Asia and India and are small in size - only 30-40 mm.
What danger do praying mantises pose to humans?
Despite its predatory disposition and aggressive behavior, it cannot be said that the praying mantis is dangerous for the king of nature - man. The praying mantis does not consider such a large object as prey.
Attention! One of the common myths about the praying mantis is that its bite is poisonous to humans. However, we can say with confidence that poisonous mantises do not exist in nature.
Is the Crimean mantis dangerous?
The Crimean mantis, or more correctly the praying mantis (Ameles taurica), was first described by an entomologist living in the Crimea, Vasily Yakovlev, in 1903. There is still debate as to which genus of real mantises this type of insect belongs to. It is found in steppe areas:
- on the western tip of the Crimean Peninsula (in the area of Lake Jyrylgach);
- in the south of Ukraine (Kherson and Zaporozhye regions);
- some time ago it was spotted in the Temryuk district of the Krasnodar Territory .
Coloring in brownish-sand tones allows Crimean mantises to remain unnoticed while hunting. Well-developed transparent wings with noticeable brown streaks make them good flyers; insects are able to make long flights in search of the best place for feeding.
The female has a size of 22-27 mm, males are smaller. Females have shorter wings, with a dark purple spot in the middle, and a more rounded abdomen.
The available data on the Crimean praying mantis in terms of whether it is dangerous for humans allows us to say unequivocally - no.
By the way! Several other species of praying mantises live on the territory of Crimea, which can be found in different areas. However, none of them received the name Crimean anymore:
- common mantis with a green elongated body, 7-10 cm long;
- Bolivaria short-winged (wormwood) dark gray in color, 3.5-5 cm in size;
- striped empusa - larger than the previous species, 4-6.5 cm in size, elongated body, alternating green and yellowish stripes in color. Listed in the Red Book.
Empusa striped
Pest Control
The use of praying mantises as a form of biological pest control is becoming increasingly common. Spraying pesticides in the garden, the environment is increasingly viewed more negatively by people.
They are known to be quite big eaters. They feed on small pieces of aphids, worms, and hornets. But be careful, the mantis will also eat beneficial insects, such as ladybugs. It is recommended to use it to control large pest infestations.
Mantises are completely carnivorous; will eat almost any insect that is small enough to be caught. Juveniles chase small insects, while adults eat flies, wasps, cockroaches, butterflies, cicadas, crickets, moths and even spiders. One adult can eat up to 25 flies per day.
According to ancient legend, if a praying mantis sat on a woman, it was a sign of conception. Based on the gender of the insect, they predicted whether the child would be a boy or a girl.
Is a mantis bite dangerous?
For an adult, a mantis bite most likely will not pose any danger. Praying mantises are not poisonous, as mentioned above, they do not carry any infection, and their saliva does not cause an allergic reaction in people and animals.
What can be dangerous for a person from a mantis bite is that it will cause itching on the skin for 10-15 minutes. Fortunately, the itching goes away quickly and without leaving a trace. The mantis can also trap a human finger in its limbs and damage the skin with thick spines, which serve to capture and hold prey. This damage does not pose a threat to life or health and quickly resolves without any intervention.
Top 10 animals dangerous to humans
Koala
At first glance, these animals resemble a plush toy, but in fact they conceal a hidden threat. Never touch them! More recently, scientists have discovered that most of these animals are infected with chlamydia and their population is threatened with complete extinction over the next 30 years.
Hercules beetle
Although seemingly non-threatening, this giant of the insect world is considered the most powerful living creature on the planet. It is capable of lifting 850 times its own mass, which is equivalent to 70 tons for a normal person.
Hippopotamus
Many people probably imagine hippos based on their image, inspired by the cartoon Madagascar - fat and hulking herbivores with a penchant for R&B music. In fact, they are potentially the most aggressive killing machines. Among other things, they are not at all afraid of people and a slight provocation is enough for this giant to set out to kill everyone who falls under the hot hand. According to statistics, hippos are responsible for the majority of human deaths in Africa.
Wombat
Another representative of the Australian continent, who looks quite good-natured. In fact, wombats quite often hunt dingoes and Tasmanian devils, and this is already saying something. What appears before us is far from a teddy bear.
Nutria
Also known as the water rat, it is a large rodent native to South America. They were originally bred as a remedy for locusts, but it was later discovered that nutria not only destroy locusts, they destroy almost everything in their path! In Maryland alone, nutria have damaged an estimated 3,000 hectares of wetlands, prompting the government to enact multimillion-dollar rodent control programs.
Mantis shrimp
These amazingly colored crustaceans are quite popular among aquarists. One of the conditions for their maintenance is extreme caution and not without reason. Having broken free, this shrimp is capable of inflicting monstrous blows with its claws. Still, a claw rushing at a speed of 80 km/h inspires respect. In addition, the crustacean accompanies strikes with its claws with discharges of electricity.
Hummingbird
Everyone knows that this is an adorable tiny bird that feeds on nectar. But not everyone imagines what she is capable of in reality. The metabolism accelerated by about 200 times compared to humans forces these birds to balance on the brink of life and death; they need food constantly, otherwise they will simply die, which forces them to feed not only on nectar, but also not to disdain even the remains of their own relatives.
Pacific salmon
It is known for being good for dinner accompanied by fried mushrooms and eggplants. In addition, she has an interesting feature - in order to give birth, they perform truly crazy actions. To begin with, salmon move from their native ocean to freshwater rivers, in order to make room for eggs, the fish stop feeding, then along the only route they know they return to the place where they were first born (and this usually happens not far from the sources of the river), and in the end, having laid eggs, the fish simply die.
Cassowary
At first glance, this strange bird resembles a mixture of a turkey and an ostrich. In reality, cassowaries are recognized as the most dangerous birds in the world. Firstly, due to their unique camouflage ability. You can only notice her at the last moment when she decides to attack you. Cassowaries also have very powerful legs that can disembowel a person with one blow. In addition, cassowaries are extremely aggressive, and anyone can envy their running speed - it reaches 75 km/h.
Immortal jellyfish
The jellyfish Turritopsis Nutricula is considered the only immortal creature on the planet. Upon reaching maturity, Turritopsis Nutricula can transform back into a juvenile and is capable of repeating this cycle indefinitely. Thus, jellyfish of this species only die if they are eaten or killed.
Video
Precautionary measures
However, it should be remembered that an attack and bite from a praying mantis can pose a danger to children, especially young ones. Children, due to their curiosity and restlessness, can hunt these entertaining insects. An aggressive or frightened mantis may attack and harm the child:
- A child can be very frightened when attacked by a large insect with a rather frightening appearance.
- The mantis is more likely to injure thin children's skin than the skin of adults.
Therefore, while in nature, 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 should not grab insects and hunt them.
What does a praying mantis eat?
Photo: Female praying mantis
Being a predator, the mantis feeds only on live food and never picks up carrion. These insects are very voracious and need to constantly hunt.
The main diet of adults is:
- other insects, such as mosquitoes, flies, beetles and bees, and the size of the prey may even exceed the size of the predator;
- large species are capable of attacking small amphibians, small birds and rodents;
- very often relatives, including their own offspring, become food.
Cannibalism among mantises is common, and spectacular fights between mantises break out very often.
Interesting fact: Larger and more aggressive females often eat their partners during mating. This happens due to a critical lack of protein necessary for the development of offspring. As a rule, at the very beginning of mating, the female bites off the male’s head, and after the process is completed, she eats him completely. If the female is not hungry, then the future father manages to retreat in time.
These predators do not chase their victims. With the help of their specific color, they effectively camouflage themselves among twigs or flowers and wait for the approach of their prey, rushing at them from ambush with lightning speed. Mantises grab prey with their powerful forelimbs, and then, pinching them between the thigh, equipped with spikes, and the lower leg, they slowly eat the still living creature. The special structure of the oral apparatus and powerful jaws make it possible to literally tear out pieces from the victim’s flesh.
How do praying mantises hunt?
These ferocious insects don't just hunt like robots, according to a study published in the journal Biology Letters. It's much, much scarier - the mantises calibrate their attacks to more effectively capture prey as it flies past - and at different speeds.
According to the New York Times, predatory animals are traditionally divided into two categories depending on how they catch prey. The first group chases predators and knocks them down (this is how cheetahs and other large predators usually hunt). The second group is better known as wait-and-see predators - they hide and wait for the right moment, and then immediately strike.
Heterochaeta orientalis or Heterochaeta eastern, it reaches 16 cm in length
However, recently this view has been called into question. By studying mantis shrimp, which capture prey with super-fast strikes, scientists have discovered that these insects control the speed of the strike! And the results of a 2016 study of praying mantises showed that they are flexible when “catching” stationary insects. Look at this photo:
This is a screenshot of a video of a praying mantis carefully watching a fly fly by. Before she even had time to blink an eye, she was already grabbed - quickly, and most importantly, without a doubt, all the movements of the mantis were clearly calculated
In the experiment, the researchers placed one Madagascan marbled mantis at a time on an elevated platform under a bright light. Then they directed the prey - either a dead beetle or a similar bead - towards the mantis on a transparent wire. The target could move at three speeds, each of which had to approach a different type of mantis prey. The slowest of them, 200 millimeters per second, is the average flight speed of a fruit fly. The fastest - 730 millimeters per second - simulated a falling fly. The authors of the work placed eight different praying mantises through dozens of swings, filming each of them with a high-speed camera. They then analyzed the recorded movements of the insects.
Rhombodera basalis, Malaysian shield mantis
So, it turns out that mantises do indeed adjust their strike speed depending on how fast their prey is moving. As the researchers write in their paper, given that some impacts last less than one tenth of a second, this is highly unusual. Moreover, the results of the study again raise the question of what insects are capable of and whether we know them as well as we think.
Why is the insect called a praying mantis?
The official name of the beetle was given by the famous Swedish naturalist Carl Lineus; in Latin it sounds like “Mantis religiosa”. The translation literally means “religious priest”, and a shorter one has come into use – mantis.
Interesting!
In 1758, the scientist spent a long time observing insects in the tropics, where he noticed a beetle sitting gracefully in ambush. The front legs were folded as if he were praying in a temple, hence the name.
But besides the academic name, the insect has other nicknames:
- in Spain it is called the devil's horse or death;
- Insects that look like orchids are called orchidaceae.
In each locality, praying mantises are called differently; it is simply impossible to list everything in one article.
Lifestyle
The lifespan of a praying mantis in natural conditions is determined by the species and varies from 2 to 11 months. In captivity, insects live up to one and a half years. The habitat is very wide. The home of the praying mantis is Southern Africa, South America, Central and Southern Europe, Russia, Belarus, the Mediterranean, and almost all of Asia. The insects were brought by merchant ships to Australia, where they thrive.
Most often, praying mantises are found in the tropics and subtropics. At the same time, insects are quite suitable not only for wet forests, but also for the well-warmed rocky deserts of these climatic zones. In European territories, they are common in steppe regions and water meadows.
Praying mantises extremely rarely leave their habitat. Only a significant lack of food can force an insect to leave its native plant or branch. Active movements are observed during the mating period or during attacks from natural enemies. Almost all species of mantises hunt during the daytime.
The praying mantis is a graceful predator that feeds on insects. Beetles, cockroaches, butterflies, bumblebees, wasps, flies, mosquitoes, and bees are included in the animal's diet. Large individuals will not miss the opportunity to feast on small lizards, frogs, small birds, and mice. A predator waits in ambush for prey. The praying mantis grabs the prey with its forelimbs and holds it tightly until it eats it completely. The insect's jaws are so powerful that they can easily chew even large trophies.
Breeding cycle
The insect is characterized by a cycle of incomplete transformation and pronounced sexual dimorphism. Praying mantises living in the tropics and subtropics breed throughout the year. In temperate climates they reproduce in the fall.
Males, using well-developed olfactory organs, find females ready for reproduction
Then they perform a special mating dance, attracting the attention of a potential partner. The appearance of full-fledged offspring is ensured by fertilization
Sometimes, with abundant nutrition, the female lays unfertilized eggs, from which several larvae hatch.
After fertilization, the male dies. The female bites off her partner's head and eats him completely. Biologists believe that the female receiving nutrients immediately after mating improves the quality of fertilization. Not all praying mantis species have females that are so ferocious. In some species, the male has a chance to survive if he manages to fly away in time.
After fertilization, the female lays eggs. Blades of grass, branches of bushes and trees are the best places for laying. Having found a suitable place, the insect squeezes eggs out of the ovipositor.
Special glands secrete a special liquid that flows around the eggs and hardens. Then a protective capsule is formed - ootheca. Its length is 3 cm and its width is 2 cm. Depending on the type, the clutch can contain from 10 to 400 eggs. The color of the protective capsule depends on the environment and varies from yellow-green to gray-brown.
In temperate climates with fairly frosty winters, clutches are formed in late September or early October. Then the female dies, and the embryos easily tolerate the unfavorable conditions of the cold period. The duration of the egg stage depends on the climate and lasts from three weeks to six months. The hatched larvae do not resemble the adults. Their bodies are covered with small spines, and at the end of the abdomen there are two long “threads”.
The larva makes its way to the entrance of the capsule. Then it hangs on the edge of the ootheca, as the elastic edges of the shell clamp the “threads”. In this position the nymph molts for the first time. The larva is completely independent and feeds on insects. Development proceeds quickly; after four to eight molts, the nymph becomes an adult animal.
Natural enemies
The threat to the insect is snakes, birds, bats, and chameleons. To intimidate the enemy, the animal takes a characteristic pose:
- the wings are melted into a fan;
- the front pair of grasping legs are exposed in front of the chest;
- the tip of the abdomen is raised.
Some species make threatening sounds to enhance the effect. For example, the Sarawak mantis clicks, rubs its forelimbs on its thighs, and rustles its wings. If an insect encounters an enemy that is stronger than it, it prefers to flee. The animal enters the fight only when it has a clear advantage.
The praying mantis is a graceful predator whose appearance and habits have long attracted human attention. The insect is a hero of myths and fairy tales of Asia, Africa and Europe
The Greeks believed that praying mantises had the ability to predict spring. The Chinese saw them as examples of greed and stinginess.
Reproduction and lifespan
Mating of praying mantises ends with the females laying several dozen or hundreds of eggs in specially constructed protein bags, which depends on the type of insect.
All this happens quite interestingly. The cameras are located on the tree. The female lays one egg in each cell. Time passes and the protein bags freeze, protecting the eggs inside them from external factors and enemies.
There is only one hole in this structure; it is through it that insect larvae are selected. Outwardly, they are very similar to adults, only they do not have wings. These amazing animals live for about six months.
History of the name
People have known about praying mantises for a long time, but they were not studied in detail for a long time. Ignorance continued until the authoritative naturalist, member of the Academy of Sciences in Paris, Swede Carl Linnaeus, spoke about these amazing creatures more than 300 years ago.
In the written work “System of Nature”, the scientist gave insects their current names, the hero of the article was given the name from two words
-
God and prayer
. Why the author gave this name is now a mystery. But there is an opinion that this name was given because of the front legs, often folded as if the creature was praying. In 1758 the name "mantis" was given.
Zoologists were able to establish a habitat that includes most of the globe. They have a year-round cycle, do not hibernate and do not reduce their activity. Their lifespan is short, they live on average about a year
and during this time they grow up, hunt, lay offspring and die.
The praying mantis is a typical predator
The praying mantis is a typical example of a predator in wait, or, in other words, an “ambush”. For hours he can sit quietly in a secluded place, waiting for prey. The camouflage coloring allows the mantis to blend in with the vegetation, and even the shape of its body resembles part of a plant. Although it lives among an abundance of greenery, it does not accept plant foods. Moreover, the carnivorous insect eats its prey exclusively alive.
Praying mantises are merciless not only towards other insects smaller in size, which for them are nothing more than a tasty lunch, but also towards their relatives. Anyone who keeps this aggressive creature as a pet needs to know this. Two or more praying mantises are unlikely to live together, especially if one is larger than the other.
In the Middle Ages in Japan, the praying mantis was considered a symbol of courage and cruelty, and even the image of the insect was applied to the hilts of samurai swords. And one of the positions in kung fu repeats the pose of a praying mantis, ready for battle. In addition, in China they believed that the praying mantis had healing powers and could cure some diseases. The ancient Greeks considered the praying mantis a harbinger of spring and a weather predictor; they called it a “prophet” and “soothsayer.” And in some European countries, even today, praying mantises are credited with some kind of magical power. Perhaps this creature, which is an object of superstition, will arouse your interest and you will want to keep it as a treasure?
The female praying mantis eats the male after mating - is this true?
mating season is well known
when individuals mate to reproduce their own kind. But it is often said that this process can be used for making horror films.
The difference between their mating games and other species is that the female devours the male during mating. She turns 180 degrees and bites off the male's head
. In this case, mating does not stop, nothing changes. Males then either receive severe damage and pretend to be dead, or more often lose their heads altogether. Their vital activity ceases and death occurs. Death occurs in half of the cases.
The fertilized female then lays eggs in the ootheca
. This is exactly how the population of these strange individuals develops in a unique way.
The reason for this phenomenon is still unclear
, but according to biologists, everything can happen for the reason that the male cannot copulate while he has a head; mating begins only when the male loses his head.
A female can also eat a male because she has a strong need for proteins at the initial stage of testicular development.
For fertilized individuals, everything ends just as tragically; they lay eggs in a nest, which they previously made from their foamy mucus. After laying eggs they die. Couples give lives to others, giving their own in return.
Bonus facts about the praying mantis:
- China has several martial arts based on the movements and principles of the hunting mantis.
- The color and shape of the praying mantis can be very different; they can disguise themselves as flowers, twigs, leaves, etc. This phenomenon is called mimicry. Flower mantises are so colorful and convincing that unsuspecting insects come to collect nectar from them... and become lunch in the meantime.
- They can see the movement of other animals up to 18 meters away!
- They are often eaten by bats, so you should be wary of them too.
- The USSR once decided to use praying mantises as a natural weapon against unnecessary insects in agricultural life, but it didn’t work out. And all because praying mantises eat not only bugs, aphids, etc., but also bees, and this has only begun to cause harm.
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Insect specificity
The most specific feature of such a unique insect is its color, which matches the color of individual elements of its habitat: stones, grass, flowers, tree leaves. The most common praying mantises are yellow and brown and green in color, which accounts for 80% of their total number. It is almost impossible to see a motionless mantis in the natural environment. An insect can only reveal its presence by movement.
The mantis moves slowly, but in case of danger it is able to very quickly move to a safe distance and freeze in place again. Because the favorite pose of such a unique insect is expectant. Like spiders, praying mantises are ambushers, ready to wait patiently for days on end for an unwary mosquito.
Praying mantises lead a solitary lifestyle. They are more active during the day, as potential victims are tracked visually. It is precisely because of the long wait that the overwhelming majority of insects have a protective coloring, and some specimens have a special body shape. For example, species of praying mantises that live in grass are painted green and resemble a blade of grass, while brown-colored insects resemble dry twigs. In the praying mantis Choerododis stalii, tiny spots on the body imitate damage to the leaf blade of the plant. Tropical species of mantises that wait for their prey in flowers have a curved abdomen and flat lobes on their feet, reminiscent of flower petals.
The Orchid Mantis, which is white in color when young, is especially striking in its adaptability to natural colors, but as it matures it becomes pink, completely indistinguishable from the flower.
