Well, first of all, why “mantis”? The name is quite strange, to be sure. The name of the insect was not invented by anyone, but by Carl Linnaeus himself, the founder of the entire biological table, a great mind. So, when he finally paid attention to the praying mantis, he exclaimed: “Tja, det ser ut som på mantis, för fan!”, which translated from Swedish means “Well, it looks like a praying mantis, damn!”
If you look at a praying mantis, you can really see that the pose of this insect is similar to the pose of a praying person. That is why Linnaeus gave the name Mantis religiosa or “religious priest”, in our opinion.
As for official judgments about the praying mantis, they are as follows. Praying mantises are not just a type of insect, but an entire suborder, with many species. The length of the praying mantis is about 5 cm. American films praying mantises sometimes reach five meters in length.
The color of the praying mantis varies from green to brown. The praying mantis has wings, but it rarely uses them, I will tell you why later. Females, for example, use their wings only in exceptional cases. Until a certain point, scientists even believed that the female’s wings were necessary only for intimidation. Then, after observing, they finally realized that the female could fly. True, they still don’t understand why praying mantises need to fly.
Well, not that much later. I actually wanted to reveal all of Mantis's cards at the end, but I can't wait to talk about Mantis' origins now. Official scientific opinions about the origin of the praying mantis are extremely uninteresting. All the same nonsense: the origin of life in water, the first amphibians, arthropods, insects, modifications that led to the development of the praying mantis, blah, blah, blah.
There is also an unofficial version of the origin. It is so obvious that even a child will agree with it, unlike inert scientists. To truly understand the praying mantis, it is enough to look at the face of the praying mantis for a couple of minutes.
Here, watch for two minutes, try to understand.
Do you see? I am sure that you also understood the whole truth, namely that the praying mantis is a creature of unearthly origin. It only looks like an insect, but if you look at it more closely, a version of alien origin immediately comes to mind.
Do not rush to accept the skeptical side of scientists, let's look at some facts together.
Again, let's take coloring. I already said that it varies, but I didn’t say how much. It varies so much that it is impossible to say definitely what color the praying mantis is. Of course, we are used to thinking that the praying mantis is green. This is true, but the mantis is green only when it sees leaves. Since scientists, in their own foolishness, continue to look for praying mantises only on leaves, they have no idea about the ability of the praying mantis to choose any color they please.
How about this coloring?
Look around you and remember that praying mantises are everywhere. They disguise themselves so that we don’t see them, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist, right? Look carefully, perhaps the praying mantis is hiding among your office papers or sitting right on your brand new iPhone. Or maybe he was hiding in an indoor flower.
Don't forget to look in the barn.
Another fact that is known to many. No, I can’t talk about him calmly. The fact is that after sex, the female eats her partner. Do you think this is normal? Imagine a herd of cows. They graze and eat grass peacefully. Then the young bull comes, moo-moo, all that. Here he is climbing on his love, here is sex. And then! The cow turns around and eats the bull whole! One, one, and it's done. And then he continues to peacefully eat grass.
If this is not enough for you, then I will continue. Not only do females eat males after sex. This can be understood: vitamins, nutrients, necessary for the development of the praying man... But how to understand the fact that before sex, the female bites off the male’s head? Before sex, not after. Imagine a herd of cows. However, it’s not necessary, you have no idea. A headless bull on a cow... Really, you shouldn’t even think about it.
In fact, the female does not always bite off the head and does not always eat the male. That is, this is an optional condition. And this only adds new questions like “What’s the point then?!” Scientists remain silent about these issues, while agreeing that in earthly nature this is an exceptional case.
This act of cannibalism inspired not only me. For example, one Frenchman Marcel Rolland wrote about it like this:
“I will tell you below how the praying mantis devours its victims, but I must say that this drama, played out in the mysterious, apparently serene canopy of a hedge, was for me my first meeting with the Relentless. Thus I learned the terrible law of force to which the world is subject.”
There he said a lot more, one might even say that the praying mantis shook his psyche.
Scientists differ so widely in their assessments of this act that they sometimes go too far in their reasoning. So one of the scientists proved the thesis that the very fact of biting and biting is not so new in nature. Even among people you can find analogies. In short, I wrote all these words just to quote the words of this scientist:
Myths and folklore do not remain in debt: with their data they confirm the material of individual imagination. First of all, in the North Asian and North American regions there are widespread myths about women with toothed vaginas who kill, cutting off the penis, those who dare to have sexual intercourse with them.
Friends, I will take a short break and then continue. The devouring female praying mantises do not allow me to just pick up and continue my story.
Of course, there will be skeptics who will say “oh well! An ordinary insect! But it's not that simple. Remember the cartoon about kung fu panda? So, there, among the kung fu masters, along with the tiger and the monkey, there was a praying mantis. An unheard of honor for a small insect, don’t you think?
The fact is that the Chinese were among the first to realize that something was wrong with the praying mantis. Just in case, they began to praise him. They not only drew a praying mantis, it’s not that strange, especially for the Chinese, they came up with a whole style martial art- praying mantis style. Not even a style, but a whole direction of styles, including: “Plum Blossom Mantis”, “Seven Star Mantis”, “Six Coordination Mantis Boxing” and other equally funny names.
We must give credit to the Chinese for understanding the true nature of the praying mantis.
Mantises have wings, but they rarely use them. They do not need them for hunting; mantises have other methods of hunting. They also do not use flight for defense, as they are well camouflaged. Thus, wings are not needed for daily activities. It can be assumed that wings are necessary for migration, but nothing is known about flocks of flying mantises.
Possible solution this fact lies in one of the songs:
I read in one book,
That when it gets bad,
And an ice ax and a saw will rise above the world
They will be removed from the branch
And they will excite you and me,
Under tight wings.
Why do praying mantises have such a strong influence on people’s consciousness? And they really have a strong influence, all over the world. I already talked about the Chinese with their praying mantis style. Other peoples also had special ideas about this insect.
Thus, in Africa there is still a cult of the praying mantis, which is considered a god and founder of the worlds. In Europe they also paid attention to it Special attention. Attitudes towards the praying mantis are ambiguous; in some cultures it is extolled, in others it is considered a demonic creature.
Perhaps the praying mantis earned such attention through its ability to look. The praying mantis is perhaps the only insect that has the ability to move its head in the direction of its gaze. That is, unlike other insects, he not only sees, but also looks.
Generally speaking, the number of beliefs and myths associated with the praying mantis is amazing.
More interesting fact. The praying mantis gets along just fine without a head and can even have sex. But that is not all. Not only can he walk and balance without a head, but without a head he can pretend to be dead. That is, being dead, he can pretend to be dead.
This incredible feature, as well as the ability to perfectly change its appearance, prompted one African tribe to create a myth about how a praying mantis turned into a dead antelope. The hunters found him and prepared to cut him with stone knives. But even then the mantis remained motionless. Then they started cutting pieces off the antelope. And only after this, the antelope again turned into a praying mantis. It was an elder pilgrim, he collected all his cut-off parts, attached them to himself and began to run with his paws raised (well, you know how he can do that), grab and eat children.
This is such a mythical African horror.
The praying mantis is an arthropod insect that belongs to the order of praying mantises (lat. Mantodea, Mantoptera).
The origin of the international name "Mantodea" is not known with certainty. Russian definition This order was received due to some similarity of the insect's forelimbs with human arms bent at the elbow joint. In this position, the mantis is in ambush and waits for prey, shaking its head from time to time. Because of this behavioral feature, as well as due to associative perception, the insect, which resembles a person who reads a prayer, got its name.
Taken from the site: artfile.me
Mantis - description, structure, characteristics. What does a praying mantis look like?
Almost all praying mantises have an elongated body characteristic structure, distinguishing them from other arthropod insects. The movable head of the praying mantis has almost triangular shape and is capable of rotating almost around its axis. Thanks to this, the insect can notice an enemy approaching from behind.
The convex large compound eyes of the praying mantis have complex structure and are located far from each other along the lateral edges of the head. In addition to them, the insect has 3 simple eyes, which are located above the base of the antennae.
The antennae of the praying mantis consist of numerous segments and, depending on the species of the insect, are filamentous, feathery or comb-like. The mouthparts of mantises are of the gnawing type and are directed downwards.
Characteristic feature insects of this order is that the pronotum, widened in the upper part, almost never overlaps the head. The soft, slightly flattened abdomen consists of 10 segments.
The last segment of the abdomen ends with long paired appendages of numerous segments, cerci, which are organs of smell. In males, the cerci are better developed than in females.
Cerci and ovipositor of a female praying mantis Stagmomantis carolina. Photo credit: Kaldari, Public Domain
Almost all species of mantises have well-developed front and rear pairs of wings, thanks to which the insect can fly. It is noteworthy that the narrow and dense wings of the front pair serve as a kind of elytra that protect the hind wings. The rear pair of wings is wide, has many membranes and is folded like a fan. Often the wings of a praying mantis are brightly colored or have a specific pattern on them. But there are also varieties of mantises that are completely devoid of wings and, in their own way, appearance resembling larvae. This, for example, is the earthen mantis (lat. Geomantis larvoides).
In the thoracic region of these insects, the front pair of limbs is especially well developed. Each of them consists of an elongated coxa, a trochanter, a femur, which is slightly longer in size than the coxa, a tibia, and a tarsus, consisting of 5 segments. In its lower part, the thigh is studded with large sharp spines arranged in 3 rows, the drumstick also has spines, albeit smaller ones, and at the end of the drumstick there is a sharp needle-like hook. The last segments of the tarsi end in two rather large claws.
Along the entire length of the thigh there is a groove into which the shin is inserted, like the blade of a folding knife that retracts into the handle. Mantises capture their prey and hold it between the thigh and lower leg until the process of eating food is completed. The middle and hind pairs of legs have a structure typical of arthropods.
Forelimbs of the praying mantis Otomantis scutigera. Photo credit: Bernard DUPONT, CC BY-SA 2.0
The circulatory system of mantises is quite primitively developed, which is a consequence of the way they breathe. The body is supplied with oxygen thanks to a complex branched system of tracheas, which are connected to spiracles (stigmas) lying on several segments of the abdomen, as well as located on the middle and posterior parts of the body. Expansions (air sacs) can form in the trachea, which increase ventilation of the entire respiratory system.
Sexual differences in mantises are quite pronounced and manifest themselves in the size of individuals: females are always much larger than males.
On the left is a female, on the right is a male common mantis. Left photo credit: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo on right: Nicolas Weghaupt, Public domain
Some mantises can reach a length of 17 cm, for example the species Ischnomantis gigas, which lives in Africa, or Heterochaeta orientalis, which is also called the eastern heterochaete and reaches a size of 16 cm. Other mantises are very small in size and grow no more than 0.5 -1.5 cm in length - such, for example, are tiny praying mantises.
The body color of the praying mantis depends on the environment, as it is camouflage in nature. There are mantises that look like green leaves, flowers or sticks, while other species imitate tree bark, lichens, or even the black color of ashes after a fire.
The species Gonatista grisea is almost impossible to distinguish from the whitish growths on the tree. Photo by: Yaroslav Kuznetsov, CC BY-SA 4.0
Deroplatys lobata is very similar to the brown leaf. Photo credit: Fritz Geller-Grimm, CC BY-SA 3.0
Choeradodis rhombicollis resembles a green tree leaf. Photo by: Benjamint444, GFDL 1.2
Humbertiella sp. disguised as tree bark. Photo credit: L. Shyamal, CC BY-SA 3.0
It is unlikely that you will notice the praying mantis Pogonogaster tristani against a background of green moss. Photo credit: Leonardo Miranda Di Giambattista, CC BY-SA 3.0
Most praying mantises are green, yellow or brown, although there are species with brighter and more contrasting colors. It is noteworthy that the colors of individuals of the same species can vary quite greatly, and also change after each molt.
Metallyticus splendidus shimmers in different colors and has a metallic sheen in color. Photo by: 김준석
Enemies of praying mantises.
When attacked by an enemy (bird, or) or when meeting with a fellow rival, the mantises try to scare the enemy. They take a rather intimidating pose, spreading their wings like a fan, putting their front grasping legs forward and lifting the end of their abdomen up. This pose can be accompanied by threatening sounds. For example, the Sarawak mantis (lat. Hestiasula sarawaka) rustles its wings loudly and makes a clicking noise created by the contact of the upper part of the forelimb with the thigh. If the enemy turns out to be much stronger, the mantis prefers to retreat and flies away, however, seeing its advantage, it bravely confronts the enemy and often emerges victorious in such a fight.
Lifespan of praying mantises.
The lifespan of a praying mantis depends on the species and ranges from 2 to 11 months. In captivity, some species can live up to 1.5 years.
Where does the praying mantis live?
The distribution area of mantises is quite wide and covers almost all countries of Asia, South and Central Europe, as well as some African countries, South America. It includes Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Malta, Syria, India, China and Iran. Populations are recorded in Yemen and Turkey, Malaysia and Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Israel. Some mantises live in Russia, Belarus, Tatarstan, Poland, and Germany. These insects were brought on merchant ships and took root in Australia and North America.
In tropical and subtropical conditions, mantises live not only in humid forests, where they settle in the branches of trees or shrubs, but also in sun-warmed rocky deserts. In Europe, these insects are common in steppe regions, as well as in spacious meadows.
Praying mantises rarely change their habitat, and if potential food is present around them in sufficient quantities, they will never leave the selected plant or individual branch. Active movements are resorted to during the mating period, when there is a lack of food supply in the habitat or, in rare cases, when attacked by natural enemies: birds, chameleons, snakes or larger relatives. Almost all species of mantises lead a diurnal active lifestyle.
What does a praying mantis eat?
The praying mantis is a predator and its diet usually consists of other small and large insects. Representatives of this detachment are not averse to feasting on the gape, or. Large individuals can attack and eat small amphibians (geckos), small birds and even small rodents.
These predators attack their victims from ambush. They grab prey with their forelimbs and hold it until they completely eat it. Powerful jaws and the structure of the oral apparatus allow these insects to chew even big catch.
Types of praying mantises, photos and names.
There are more than 2,000 species of praying mantises. Below is a description of several varieties.
- lives in most countries of Europe, Asia and Africa. Its distribution area includes Portugal and Spain, Italy and France, Turkey, Germany, Austria and Poland, as well as numerous islands of the Mediterranean Sea. This species is found in Sudan and Egypt, in Israel and Iran, as well as in Russia, starting from southern regions and ending with the Primorsky Territory. Introduced populations have been recorded in Australia and North America. The common mantis is a fairly large insect, measuring 4.8-7.6 cm in females and 4.0-6.1 cm in males. Individuals are colored green or brown with a yellow tint. The transparent wings of the praying mantis, trimmed with green or brown edging, are well developed. The rather long abdomen is ovoid in shape. A distinctive feature of this species is a black spot, which is located on both coxae of the front pair of legs with inside. Often a light mark is visible in the center of such a spot.
- Chinese mantis (Chinese bowing mantis) (lat. Tenodera aridifolia, Tenodera sinensis) is an endemic species that is naturally distributed throughout China. Adult female praying mantises reach 15 cm in length; males are much more modest in size. The color of these insects does not depend on gender and can be green or brown. Nymphs and juveniles lack wings. Chinese mantises acquire the ability to fly only after several molts. Tenodera sinensis exhibits vital activity at night. Life expectancy is 5-6 months.
- Mantis Creobroter meleagris widespread in Bhutan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos, Pakistan and other countries in the South Asian region. Adults can reach 5 centimeters in length. The main body color of the praying mantis is cream or white. Light-colored stripes of varying widths run throughout the body, head and paws. Brown. The elytra and pronotum are colored olive-green. On the elytra there is one small and one large spot of white or cream color. The larger spot has the shape of an ellipse, which is outlined in black at the top and bottom.
Taken from: www.nhm.ac.uk
- Praying mantis Creobroter gemmatus, which is also called Indian flower mantis, is a typical inhabitant of the humid forests of India, Vietnam and other countries of South Asia. Mature males of this species of mantis reach a length of 38 mm, females are larger and grow up to 40 mm. The body of the insect is elongated, and the width of the pronotum is noticeably less than its length. There are several spikes of different heights on the hips. The body is colored cream with brown or greenish spots. Both pairs of wings are well developed, and on the upper pair, which acts as elytra, there is a large bright spot that resembles an eye with two pupils and serves to scare away predators. The wings of males are longer than those of females. Due to the fact that the lower wings of the mantis, colored pink and brown at the base, have numerous membranes, the impression of a bizarre scaly pattern is created. The insect lives in plant flowers, where it waits for prey during the day.
- Praying mantis Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii lives in areas with hot and humid climates. Other unofficial names for this insect are spiky or spiny flower mantis. This species lives in the countries of southern and eastern Africa: Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, as well as Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion. The size of adults is quite modest. The length of females does not exceed 40 mm, and males - 30 mm. The coloring of these mantises is heterogeneous - it combines white, cream, pinkish, yellow and green tones. On the upper pair of wings there is a rather interesting pattern, reminiscent of a green eye or a small spiral. It is noteworthy that the curls of these spirals on the right and left wings are directed towards each other. These insects have spines not only on the surface of the forelimbs, but also on the abdomen - hence the name of this mantis.
Taken from the site: media1.webgarden.cz
- distributed in the tropical forests of India, Malaysia and Indonesia. This insect is considered one of the most beautiful representatives of the order. It received its name for its external resemblance to the flowers on which it hides in anticipation of its prey. A sexually mature female praying mantis has quite impressive dimensions and grows up to 80 mm in length. The size of males is much more modest and does not exceed 40 mm. Distinctive feature this species has wide forelimbs, head small size and filamentous antennae. The main body color of orchid mantises is white. However, it may vary depending on which flower the insect is lying in ambush. Various shades of pink, orange, yellow, lilac or purple can be mixed into the main tone. This type of mantis is characterized by increased aggressiveness. They can attack prey that is twice the size of the hunter. By the way, the larvae of the orchid mantis have a very unusual red and black coloring, which scares potential enemies away from them.
- Idolomantis diabolica, which is also called Damn flower or Devil's flower lives in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and other countries of East Africa, where it lives on the branches of bushes and trees. Adult mantises of this species have quite large sizes. Females can reach a length of 14 cm with a wingspan of about 16 cm. Male mantises are slightly smaller in size than females and rarely exceed 11 cm in length. The color of these insects can vary from various shades of green to light brown. The spines located on the thighs of the front legs have different lengths. Three shorter ones are visible between the long spines. A distinctive feature of this species is the characteristic leaf-shaped appendages formed by expanded cuticles, which are located on the back, as well as on the middle and hind limbs. In addition, unlike other species, in Idolomantis diabolica the top of the head tapers into a cone shape. Praying mantises of this species are often kept in home terrariums.
Taken from the site: archiwum.allegro.pl
- Eastern heterochaeta (lat. Heterochaeta orientalis), which also has unofficial name spike-eyed mantis, lives in most African countries. The female mantis reaches 15 cm in length. Males are smaller in size and grow up to 12 cm. Due to the fact that these insects live in the branches of bushes, their appearance has unusual features that make them resemble twigs or twigs. In addition, these African mantises have spines located not only on the thighs and shins of the forelimbs, but also along the upper edges of the head, which is shaped like a triangle. This gives the impression that the insect's eyes are wrapped around these spines. This structure of the visual organs, combined with a long “neck” located between the head and prothorax, allows mantises of this species to easily notice prey or enemies not only in front and to the side, but also from behind. It is noteworthy that the insect’s body at this moment can remain completely motionless. The color of individuals depends on their age. If in the larval stage they are characterized by shades of brown, then the imago is characterized by light green shades.
Taken from the website: www.deine-tierwelt.de
- - a species from the genus Empusa, which is distributed throughout almost the entire territory of Africa, in most Asian countries, as well as in Portugal, Spain and Andorra, Monaco, Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus. Adult male praying mantises are slightly smaller than females, which grow up to 10 cm in length. A distinctive feature of the praying mantis is a peculiar high growth on its head, resembling a kind of crown in shape. Males have comb-type antennae, and the head is crowned with additional spines that look like feathers. The color of the praying mantis depends on the environment and can change. These insects are characterized by green, yellow or pink colors, as well as various shades of brown.
- Phyllocrania paradoxa lives in rather arid regions of Africa, located south of the Sahara Desert, as well as on the island of Madagascar, where it lives in the branches of bushes and trees. Thanks to its peculiar body shape, reminiscent of a plant leaf, it can easily hide from natural enemies and successfully hunt small insects. This camouflage is provided by special outgrowths on the body and head of the mantis. Moreover, the processes on the male’s head are rather curved and slightly thinner than those of the females. The adults of this species are quite small in size. Females grow to a maximum of 5 cm, males are smaller. Protective coloring varies depending on air humidity and temperature. If the air temperature is low and the humidity is high, the insects are green or gray-green in color. When humidity levels drop and temperatures rise, mantises turn brown or dark brown in color.
- Metallyticus splendidus lives in India, Malaysia, Sumatra and other countries South-East Asia. Hunts for prey in the branches of trees or shrubs, as well as under tree bark. Mature male mantises can reach a length of about 2 cm. Females are slightly larger and grow up to 3 cm in length. The body of these insects is slightly flattened from the back to the abdomen. Sexual dimorphism is expressed not only in size, but also in the color of individuals. Males are characterized by blue-green shades with a pronounced metallic tint blue color. In females, the body is colored green with shiny bronze wing covers.
- Ameles spallanziania widespread in Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Portugal, Spain, Italy, San Marino, and Greece. The habitat of this species also includes Cyprus, Malta and other countries Southern Europe And North Africa. The size of these insects is quite modest, with the length of males rarely exceeding 1 cm, and females can reach a length of 3 cm. You can also distinguish a male from a female by the presence of wings. If in males they are well developed and allow him to make fairly long flights, then in females this organ is reduced, so they are deprived of the ability to move through the air. The eyes of the praying mantis are conical in shape. The color of insects is variable and can vary from bright shades of green to brown and gray-brown. Unlike other species, these mantises have a short but strong hind limb.
- Blepharopsis mendica, which also has an unofficial name thistle mantis, found in Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen and other countries in North Africa and southwestern Asia. These insects live in desert as well as mountainous areas. Males are slightly smaller in size than females, which can reach a length of 5.2-6.1 cm. In addition, the antennae of males have a comb structure. Distinctive feature The species also has a characteristic growth on the top of the head. There are many spines on the lateral surface of the thigh and lower leg. different sizes. The color of individuals can be greenish or brownish with numerous white spots that merge into bizarre patterns.
- lives in tropical zone Malaysia, Thailand and India. Adult females can grow up to 8-9 cm in length, males are slightly smaller. A characteristic feature of the praying mantis is its slightly enlarged pronotum, resembling a diamond shape. The body and wing covers of the insect are colored turquoise-green with a blue tint. The rear pair of membranous wings are partially colored in bright pink tones.
- widespread both in the tropical forests of Malaysia or Indonesia, and in the humid thickets of Sumatra and Borneo. Female Malaysian leaf mantises are much larger in size. males. Their length can reach 15 cm, while males grow to a maximum of 6 cm. This species has good camouflage abilities due to the special shape of the head and body, which give it a resemblance to withered foliage. Therefore, the color of the insect has a rather narrow color palette, including all shades of brown.
- lives in the rainforests of Malaysia, as well as in tropical thickets on Borneo islands and Sumatra. Prefers to hunt in the foliage of trees or small shrubs, as well as in their upturned roots. In appearance, these insects strongly resemble withered leaves, which serves them not only as an excellent camouflage that protects them from enemies, but also helps them hide and wait for prey. The color of the body and legs is uniform and can be different shades of gray or brown. Adult females grow up to 8 cm in length, while males barely reach 5 cm. Unlike females, males have developed wings, so they can fly, but females have lost this ability due to reduced wings.
- lives in India. This is a very large insect, 15-20 cm long, including antennae. The praying mantis' excellent camouflage makes it look like a dry blade of grass.
Praying mantises have become famous in the animal world due to the special relationship between females and males. As is known, female individuals kill their partner.
Immediately after copulation begins, females deprive their partner of their head by biting it off. In this case, sexual intercourse, in principle, continues, since the male’s seed continues to be transmitted to the female for some period. As a result, the female lays a minimum of ten, maximum of four hundred eggs, which are stored in a special capsule made of foamy protein raw materials called scientific world like an ootheca. Then the female hangs the capsule on a blade of grass or a tree branch, and she goes off to finish eating the father of her children.
Before we begin to describe the reasons for such strange behavior of females, let's figure out what mantises are.
Firstly, these are predatory insects, the size of which is within five centimeters. Praying mantises have a well-developed flying apparatus, but they use it extremely rarely. In appearance they resemble long green leaves, although brown, yellow and other variations occur in nature. These insects inhabit tropical and subtropical zones of our planet.
It is widely believed that praying mantises spend most of their lives in the grass, but this is far from true. You can find them on trees and flowers. Ordinary mantises are real defenders of nature, destroying various pests, but flower mantises themselves are such. Because they sit on flowers and eat pollinating insects.
Mantises are excellent hunters; despite the fact that nature deprived them of size, she gave them steely patience. It is because of this that they can remain in one position for hours, waiting for a victim. And as a rule, their hunt brings the desired results. The position of the body at the time of hunting resembles a human prayer pose. That is why the insect has such an unusual name.
Males are much smaller than females, so the latter pose a huge threat to them.
Praying mantises can save their lives only if, before mating, their lady ate plenty or the male overtook his companion during the hunt and managed to take a waiting and then dominant position, and quickly disappeared after the end of sexual intercourse. At the same time, hungry females attract more males, as they are able to release a large amount of pheromones. It is for such ladies that males arrange real duels, fights to the death.
So, now let's move on to the main question, what pushes females to such desperate actions. We, based on a number of studied scientific articles, two factors were identified:
- Increased sperm flow and quantity. The female, in order to obtain the partner’s seed, specifically bites off his head during sexual intercourse. This in turn increases the partner’s movement and the amount of sperm doubles. Why is that? It's simple, they are responsible for reproductive function nerve endings located in the abdomen of a male individual;
- Valuable protein for egg development. In order to enrich your body and future offspring sufficient quantity squirrel, the female goes to such measures, sacrificing the male.
The key to the survival of any species is procreation. Mantises were no exception, their mating has a number of very unusual features. For the male, unfortunately, this process can end very tragically. For a long time, scientists could not understand why the females of this species are so cruel. However, over time, the answer was found.
So, do you want to know what she does after mating and why she needs it? Well, then it's time to go to a wonderful world wildlife and see everything with your own eyes.
Mating season
With the arrival of August, hormones begin to play in praying mantises, which activates hidden mechanisms aimed at preparing for the reproductive process. In particular, insects begin to actively hunt in order to provide the body with the necessary elements and minerals. Females are especially sensitive to this task, because they will need to expend a lot of energy to lay eggs.
Closer to September, females, fully prepared for reproduction, release special pheromones into the air, which only male mantises can smell. Mating in these insects is a very unusual process with many surprising moments. Thus, males, carried away by the smell, forget about everything in the world and go towards their beloved.
How do praying mantises mate?
The fun begins when two insects are within sight distance. The male, who is inferior in size to the female, realizes that any mistake on his part can lead to a tragic ending.
So, if the female does not like the new gentleman, then she can hit him with her paw. And in the case of praying mantises, such a blow can not only seriously harm one’s health, but also kill the would-be lover. That is why males first study the reaction of their partner, being at a safe distance from her. Sometimes they even perform a small mating dance to show off their attractiveness.
If the female does not show aggression, then the males begin the process itself. However, even after this, there is a chance that everything will end very sadly for the man.
Bloodthirsty female praying mantis
Many are familiar with that notoriety, which surrounds the females of these insects. It's about that they can bite off the heads of their suitors after mating. Why does this happen and do all males face a similar fate?
In order to lay eggs, females need to stock up on a large amount of protein. And if they failed to get him during a regular hunt, then the only way out is to bite off a piece from the gentleman. But if the lady is not hungry, then men have nothing to worry about: everything will end quite happily.
But in any case, all praying mantises are familiar with the laws of nature. Mating is the only way to survive, which means the males will be forced to risk their lives for the greater good.
There are more than 2,400 species of mantises on our planet, all of them have common ancestor with cockroaches and termites. The conducted research proves that the praying mantis insect descended from one species of ancient beetle, and from the point of view of evolution, they are relatively young, the first fossils date back to the Cretaceous period. Most people know the praying mantis beetle from the unusual behavior of the female during the mating period, but this insect still has many secrets.
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 academic title 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.
Structure and characteristics
A photo of a praying mantis cannot be confused with other insects; certain structural features are peculiar to it. Some still believe that the beetle is an alien creature, since some of its characteristics are unique and unusual for terrestrial insects.
All representatives of mantises are united by the following characteristics:
- first of all, it is an elongated body shape, which is not characteristic of other arthropods;
- its head is triangular in shape, and the beetle can rotate it 360 degrees;
- The praying mantis has one ear, but its hearing is very good;
- praying mantises have five eyes - two located on both sides of the head and three more between the antennae;
- the antennae themselves can be different, it all depends on the species, there are insects with comb, filamentous, feathery ones;
- two pairs of wings are developed in almost all species of mantises, but only males use them more often;
- insects have well-developed forelimbs, the structure of which is not simple, the components are the same for all: trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsus;
- the insect's circulatory system is primitive, the reason for this was the unusual respiratory system, which consists of the tracheal system.
Dimensions
Mantises vary in size, but usually the female is larger than the male, which allows her to handle him this way during mating. It is in size that the external gender difference manifests itself.
Interesting!
The most great view recognized as Ischnomantis gigas, reaching a length of 17 cm, this mantis lives in Africa. The male is slightly smaller in size than the female and can reach 14 cm in length.
Giant species of mantises live in wetter climates, middle lane grows small species, only up to 1.5 cm long.
Color
The insect adapts well to environment, in which it lives and develops, a typical grass insect living among green shoots will have the same color of the body and legs. The earthen subspecies is brown in color, and orchid lovers are similar to the flowers of this plant.
Each type has its own character traits in color, which allow them to differ from other representatives.
Diet
The common mantis is not a typical herbivorous insect, but is classified as a carnivore. It is capable of sitting in ambush for a long time, and then suddenly attacking its prey, which is larger than the insect itself in size.
The praying mantis diet contains:
- bees;
- butterflies;
- beetles.
Larger representatives attack frogs, small rodents, and small birds. Praying mantises can eat their relatives, this is especially true during the mating season and the drinking period.
Interesting!
Cases of attacks by praying mantises on hummingbirds, frogs and lizards, and mice have been recorded more than once.
For some animals, beetles themselves are food; birds, snakes, the bats, as well as the praying mantises themselves.
Where does the praying mantis live?
The insect can survive under almost any conditions, therefore it is distributed across all continents globe except Antarctica. Unsuitable for life are northern regions, but the reason is not at all low temperatures. A meager food supply will not be able to provide the praying mantis with enough food; they will eat each other.
The tropics with high performance temperatures and corresponding air humidity. That is why rainforests South America, Africa, and Asia have many varieties of beetles of this species. Rocky deserts and steppe areas also contribute to the reproduction of the insect.
Reproduction
This is where the most interesting things begin for many; many know the facts that characterize the insect from a not very good side.
The total lifespan of an individual individual lasts no more than a year; during this short period of time, the insect needs to grow, feed itself, protect itself from predators and be able to leave behind offspring.
Mating season and mating
The mating season for praying mantises begins in the fall; during this period, the male uses his sense of smell to look for a partner who is ready to mate. Beforehand, he performs a dance for the female, with which he demonstrates his full readiness And puberty. Only after this does the mating process take place, during which the female, without a drop of regret, bites off her partner’s head, often even before the end of the procedure.
Interesting!
Eating a partner does not occur due to the female’s dissatisfaction; this is how the praying god replenishes her reserves certain proteins in the body, necessary for laying eggs and enveloping them with a special film.
Laying eggs
After a certain period of time, the female will lay eggs; she usually does this before winter. The insect envelops the offspring with a special sticky substance secreted by its own glands. In science, this substance is called ootheca; it can protect eggs from mechanical influences and protect from various weather vagaries.
The larvae are in the eggs different time depending on the species, this period lasts from 3 weeks to 6 months.
At one time, one female praying mantis can lay from 10 to 400 eggs.
Stages of development
Praying mantises do not hatch from eggs immediately; before this there is another period of development:
- In the laid eggs, an insect larva develops until spring;
- Having hatched, the larva becomes a nymph, a smaller copy of its parents;
- After 4-8 molts, the nymph turns into an adult insect.
Benefits and harms
The praying mantis as an insect does more good than harm. Its diet consists of insect pests, which it destroys in large quantities. But the beetle can also cause harm; by eating harmful insects, it does not disdain bees. Just a few praying mantises can destroy an entire swarm of these beneficial insects in a short period.
We have found out why the praying mantis is useful and dangerous, but it is interesting to know what representatives of a particular species look like. What structural features do they have and how are they different?
Kinds
More than 2,000 species of insects have been officially described, the most interesting ones are presented below.
Common praying mantis
This species is the most common; insects live in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Distinctive features are:
- sizes larger than average, female reaches 7 cm, male 6 cm;
- individuals have a green or brown color;
- the wings are well developed, every mantis can fly from branch to branch, regardless of gender;
- abdomen ovoid.
A peculiarity of the common mantis is the presence of a dark spot on the front pair of legs on the coxae from the inside.
Chinese mantis
The homeland and permanent habitat is China, which gave the name to the species. The color is combined, the insect has green and brown shades throughout the body. A special feature is its exclusively nocturnal lifestyle; during the daytime, the mantis sleeps. The wings are poorly developed, the adult goes through several molts and only then acquires the ability to fly.
It is difficult to confuse the Chinese mantis with another species due to its outstanding size: the female grows up to 16 cm, the males are much smaller.
Praying mantis Creobroter meleagris
The habitat of insects is southwest Asia, they prefer rain forests. The length of an adult is no more than 5 cm, but the color is simply amazing: stripes irregular shape brown and cream colored located throughout the body. The praying mantis is distinguished by its wings, each of which has one large and small cream-colored spot. The larger spot resembles an eye with a pupil.
Orchid mantis
The name itself speaks for itself; the favorite habitat of this mantis is these flowers. Insects are very similar to orchids; sometimes it is difficult to distinguish which is a flower and which is a beetle.
An important point will be the ratio of the sizes of the female and the male; the fairer sex is exactly twice as large.
Spiny flower mantis
In the south and east africa you can find an insect similar to a praying mantis, only its body will have many spines. These shoots help the insect survive distinctive features is the color, the upper wings have a small spiral pattern, which some compare to an eye.
The insect mantis has a large distribution area and many species that will attract attention with their unusual color. And their help in destruction is simply invaluable.
