How do the different species of the genus Sphodromanthis differ? The praying mantis is an amazing insect.

Today, you can increasingly meet people who keep praying mantises at home. There is a belief that if a praying mantis lives in the house, it is fortunate: peace and prosperity will reign in the family. These creatures do not smell, do not make unnecessary sounds, and do not require much space, time, or attention. But before starting as pet This interesting insect, it won’t hurt you to learn about the peculiarities of keeping a praying mantis, its suitable habitat, feeding, and the intricacies of care.

Where can I buy a praying mantis and how much does it cost?

You can find praying mantises in some pet stores or look for advertisements for the sale of these wonderful insects on the Internet.

The price of a praying mantis primarily depends on the species. So, the common mantis ( Mantis religiosa) can be purchased for 500-1000 rubles, an orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) - for 3000 rubles, a spiny flower mantis (Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii) - for 1500-4000 rubles. The most expensive looking, perhaps, is the “devil’s flower” mantis (Idolomantis diabolica) – 11-12 thousand rubles.

It should be noted that it is better for beginners to pay attention to types that are easy to maintain. For example, (Sphodromantis centralis) is easy to maintain and the most popular among beginners.

How to choose a praying mantis?

It is best to purchase praying mantis larvae (nymphs). When you take an adult mantis into your home, you cannot know its age. It is possible that the insect will quickly die without producing offspring. Unfortunately, the life of mantises is short - only 5-9 months, rarely, with proper maintenance and care, 1 year. Adults live only about two months. Males are usually the first to die - after the breeding season, they lose the desire to hunt, they become exhausted and lethargic.

When choosing a nymph, give preference to active ones. Inspect the limbs for damage. The abdomen should have a full appearance.

What signs can be used to determine that a praying mantis is an adult?

Adults have wings, while nymphs do not. However, there are also completely wingless species of mantises, for example, the ground mantis (Geomantis larvoides).

How to properly pick up a praying mantis?

Praying mantises do not pose a danger to humans, but, like any living creature if threatened, they either run away or try to defend themselves. Therefore, when you examine an insect, pick it up without making sudden movements, otherwise the mantis may run briskly and fall. Adult mantises are able to protect themselves from injury when falling - they spread their wings, thereby reducing the speed of their fall. But for a young nymph, the fall usually ends with a rupture of the abdomen. If the mantis takes a threatening pose, it is better not to touch it: the thorny spines on the front legs can scratch you.

You need to pick up an insect to examine it correctly. Movements should be slow and smooth. The hand is carefully lifted from the back and the fingers are placed under the legs of the insect so that it is completely in the palm of your hand. You cannot press or squeeze the praying mantis.

In general, you shouldn’t pick up a praying mantis unless absolutely necessary. It’s better to place your palm and let the insect climb onto it (you can push it slightly).

Where to place the praying mantis?

The most “economical” housing for a praying mantis is a specially equipped plastic container, in which it is also necessary to create a “homey environment” - place twigs and put soil on the bottom. The height of the container should be 2-3 times longer insect.

If you plan to breed mantises, then you will need several terrariums or containers, since most species of mantises cannot be kept in groups.

Keep in mind that mantises are thermophilic: for a comfortable existence, most species need a temperature of +23 – +25° C, and some tropical species need +28 – +30° C. To heat the terrarium, you can use a regular incandescent lamp, which also serves as a light source . Thermal heating pads for terrariums are also suitable for heating. However, do not forget that too high temperature destructive to praying mantises. A small thermometer that is attached to the glass will help you control the temperature.

Is it possible to keep a praying mantis without a terrarium, right in the room?

Some species can live without a terrarium. For example, females of Hierodula, Sphodromantis, Mantis. They can be placed on house plants. The main thing is not to forget to feed your predator on time, then he will not leave his home. And remember: the room must be at a temperature suitable for this type of mantis.

What to feed the praying mantis?

Think in advance whether you can provide. This rather voracious and capricious predator feeds only on insects, live and mobile ones, and nothing else. You will have to buy cockroaches and other food insects at a pet store or breed them yourself. Another option is to catch grasshoppers, moths, etc. in the warm season. in the forest, garden or park.

Why does the praying mantis refuse food?

It is normal for a praying mantis to lose its appetite before molting. After the end of molting, he may also starve for some time. The praying mantis may refuse food even if the offered insect is too large for it.

Does the praying mantis bite?

Praying mantises are not poisonous and do not pose any danger to humans. In very rare cases, a large mantis may mistake your fingers for prey, grab them, and bite them.

How to determine the sex of a praying mantis?

It is easy to determine the sex of an adult mantis: on the inner part of the abdomen, the female has 6 lobes, and the male has 8. Another sign by which one can distinguish a male from a female mantis is the presence of feathery antennae in the male. In addition, the female praying mantis is usually larger and thicker than the male. Difficulties may arise when determining the sex of young individuals.

Mantises- carnivorous insects. Most species of mantises live in tropical countries, although some species are found in northern regions. The closest relatives are stick insects, grasshoppers and cockroaches. Like their relatives, praying mantises undergo metamorphosis and go through several stages of maturation.

Most mantises are of tropical origin, so they should be kept warm (20-25°C). Young mantises feed on aphids, fruit flies, fruit flies and others small insects. Youth will grow quickly if you provide them with large number stern.

Most species of mantises are aggressive towards each other and, if kept together, they can eat each other, especially if one mantis is larger than the others. Almost all mantises are good at eating insects that are the size of the mantis itself or even larger.

Praying mantises usually do not drink, however, it is good if there is a small dish of water in the room where they are kept. A dish of water also provides the necessary moisture. If there is no dish, then you need to spray water every day.

Housing. As the mantis grows, it will shed its skin several times, growing larger at each stage. For newborn insects, a small container, such as a yoghurt cup, is suitable; a teenage praying mantis can be transplanted into a jam jar or a bottle of milk. The top of the yogurt cup should be covered with film. You need to make a small hole in the film to supply food. A tube can be inserted into the hole to provide access fresh air. Regardless of the type of container used, branches must be placed in it so that the insect can crawl and hang on them (during the molting period). The height of the container (from floor to ceiling) should be three times the length of the insect.

Reproduction. It is difficult to distinguish male and female juveniles, but it is easy in adult praying mantises: males have eight lobes on the inside of the abdomen, females have six. Before mating (separately from each other), the male and female are intensively fed for several days. For breeding, it is advisable to use a large container, otherwise the female may eat the male. Mating may occur immediately or may take several days. There should always be food in the cage so that the female can feed during mating. After mating is completed, the male moves away.

The female (depending on age and species) can lay from 30 to 300 eggs. The emergence of larvae from eggs is observed between 3-6 months. Young people can be born all at once or in different times. Young mantises can be kept together for some time, but then the container must be large, there must be many secret places in it, and there must be live food constantly present; all these conditions will prevent cannibalism. After the second or third moult, the praying mantises should be seated.

Mantises are large predatory insects with an elongated body, a triangular head, and forelimbs designed for grasping and holding prey. They resemble sinister space aliens, although they are ordinary natives of planet Earth. The question of what a praying mantis looks like is becoming less and less relevant. In order to go catching a specimen for your entomological collection, this knowledge will soon no longer be required. The common praying mantis is growing in Russia rare species due to the plowing of the steppes, which are its main habitat. It is listed in the Red Book of some Russian regions.

Are praying mantises found in Russia?

The most common insect species in Europe is the "common mantis". This species is also found in Russia, because borders do not matter for the distribution of insects. Going for a walk in the steppe areas there is a chance to spot one of its species. However, civilization is increasingly disrupting the habitual way of life of these insects. It is possible to see a praying mantis even on the asphalt in the middle of the city or on your own windowsill. Of course, the further north you go, the less likely it is to encounter such an insect, since it thrives only in arid, hot climates.

Where do praying mantises live in Russia?

The praying mantis lives in the southern part middle zone Russia. It can be seen in Crimea and the Caucasus. The praying mantis settles both in steppe grass and on tree branches. If there is enough food around, it can stay in one place throughout its life. The praying mantis lives everywhere in Russia, except that you rarely see it in northern regions. There are only rare individuals. What types of insects are known and what areas are their predominant habitat:

Due to the large size of the insect, the praying mantis is easy to catch. He will focus on the subject of creative biology assignments for Russian schoolchildren. The insect is kept in a jar with ventilation holes in the lid. They feed them flies and larvae. The food must be alive: the insect is used to hunting and will not eat carrion. It is better not to plant praying mantises in one container: the stronger individual will destroy the weaker one in the struggle for living space. So, are there any various praying mantises in Russia, every inquisitive schoolchild knows.

Despite the fact that mantises are accustomed to living in trees or among steppe grass, some species are able to adapt to new urban living conditions. After all, without the ability to adapt to changes, an insect will not be able to continue its species, and who knows, perhaps in the near future, the praying mantis will become as common a creature as a fly for residents of megacities.

Paws folded as if in prayer, a pose full of humility and sorrow - before you is a praying mantis - one of the most extraordinary creatures on earth, which cannot be confused with someone else, but can easily be mistaken for a twig, leaf or blade of grass.

Common praying mantis: close-up photo.

Mantis on cucumbers.

About 3 thousand now known species mantises belong to the largest order of mantises - arthropod insects with incomplete transformation. One of the most common species is the religious mantis (Mantis religiosa), a member of the family of true mantises, named by Carl Linnaeus due to its characteristic prayer pose.

Having examined the praying mantis more closely and learned its true character, it becomes clear that behind the deceptive humility lies a cunning, cruel and merciless predator, far from being a saint, but rather vicious.

Here is a photo of praying mantises different types from all over the world:

Red mantis, photo taken on the island of Crete.

Orchid mantis. Habitat: India and Indonesia.

Orchid mantis in all its glory.

Praying mantis Phyllocrania paradoxa. Habitat: Madagascar.

Mantis Devil's flower. Habitat: East Africa.

Mantis Blepharopsis mendica. Habitat: North Africa, Asia Minor.

Mantis, we are finding out the type of insect.

What does a praying mantis look like?

Praying mantises - enough large predators, growing up to 15 cm in length, with females being much more massive and heavier than males. Long body insects are equipped with well-developed front and rear wings, which spread out like a chic fan to intimidate enemies.

The front legs of mantises are folded in prayer only when at rest, and their main purpose is to capture and hold prey, sometimes much larger than the mantis itself. Their thighs and legs are covered with rows of large and sharp spines, to which the mantis presses the caught victim, and the hind limbs of the insects are well adapted for walking.

Mantis on flowers.

Mantis on a flower, photo No. 2.

Praying mantises can engage in cannibalism.

Mantis. The photo was taken in the Moscow region. Camera smartphone NOKIA LUMIA 1020.

The most remarkable feature of praying mantises is their triangular head with huge eyes, so mobile that these insects are the only ones that can easily look behind themselves with one turn of their heads.

The mouthparts of mantises are excellently developed, and their powerful jaws do an excellent job of grinding large and tough prey.

The art of camouflage

Praying mantises have a reputation unsurpassed masters camouflage, skillfully using camouflage colors to blend harmoniously with the surrounding landscape. For example, individual African species Praying mantises turn black in order to successfully hunt at fire sites.

Most predators are colored in a rich, grassy - green, there are beige and brownish specimens, and only 5 Asian species from the family Metallyticidae they are distinguished by their blue-green color with a metallic tint.

Cunning insects can not only mimic the color of foliage, stones and trees, but also skillfully imitate leaves, shoots, grass stems and even fruit seeds with the position of their bodies.

Where do praying mantises live?

Today these insects are found in southern Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia and are very numerous throughout their range. Praying mantises adapt well to different biotopes and, when there is an abundant food supply, prefer sedentary image life.

Despite their frightening appearance, mantises are highly valued by farmers of all countries, they welcome them and try to use them as an effective biological weapon to combat insect pests of agriculture.

In America and a number of Asian countries they are kept as pets - exterminators of flies and mosquitoes, and lovers of exotic insects decorate their insectariums with them.

Common mantis(Mantis religiosa).

Common mantis, or religious mantis.

Common praying mantis.

Common praying mantis in the grass.

Mantis, macro photography.

A praying mantis on top of a cliff, against the backdrop of the Black Sea coast.

Hunting mantis

Mantises spend most of their lives in their characteristic position, waiting for prey, and thanks to their excellent vision, they mark the victim from afar and quickly attack when the prey is within reach.

Sometimes, young mantises, in order to survive, feed on their weaker brothers.

Praying mantises eat various insects, hunt small snakes, frogs and lizards, attack birds and rodents, practice cannibalism on occasion and will not refuse to feast on their own offspring.

These fearless and arrogant predators are not afraid to demonstrate their superiority by frighteningly bristling their wings and throwing them forward. long paws, raising his butt in the air and rushing into battle. If the potential victim turns out to be stronger, the mantis retreats and flies away.

Mantis defensive stance.

Common mantis, or religious mantis (lat. Mantis religiosa).

According to legend, one of the most famous styles of Chinese wushu - tanglangquan or "mantis style" arose after a famous master observed the technique of a duel between two insects, when a large cicada was unable to escape from the iron grip of the mantis.

Reproduction and dance of the praying mantis

Mantises owe their fame partly to the original behavior of females, who eat males after or during mating. This feature is explained by the need of females for high doses of protein necessary for the development of eggs, so males have to resort to various tricks to avoid death.

Praying mantises mating. Transcaucasian praying mantis (Hierodula transcaucasica).

At the end of the last century, researchers studying the Chinese mantis noticed how males, during courtship, perform an eerie but effective dance in front of the female in an attempt to make them perceive themselves as a partner, and not as a food object. It is difficult to judge how well the dance really works, however, about half of the matings end quite happily for the males.

The female lays from 10 to 400 eggs, which she places in a capsule - an ootheca, and hangs on bushes, grass and tree branches. In the larval stage, the insect resembles a worm, and after hatching and shedding, it turns into a full-fledged praying mantis. Having been born, the offspring, for the purpose of self-preservation, tries to quickly hide from the mother’s eyes.

The life of mantises is interesting and short, most individuals live 6 - 7 months, and only specimens overwintering in the ooteca are able to live for a year.

Here you will find answers to some of your questions about keeping and possibly breeding exotic insects such as praying mantises (Mantis) at home. Just look at this photo of a praying mantis... Many exotic lovers would like to have one of these in their home. I would like to immediately note that keeping exotic animals (and even more so tropical insects) is not an easy matter, but quite interesting. That is why it is necessary to read as much as possible more articles about keeping pets (insects) at home.

How many years do praying mantises live at home?

Since mantises are a whole group of insects with many varieties, the maximum age of a mantis depends on its species. Larger species usually live longer than smaller ones. In addition, females tend to live longer than males. When purchasing a larva, it will take 4 to 6 months to reach maturity. The adult will live for another 3-8 months. By keeping the praying mantis in relatively cool conditions and not feeding it a lot, its lifespan can be significantly extended. But remember that too low temperature may lead to death.

There are many pets: dogs, cats, cows, goats... Is it legal to keep praying mantises as pets?

This is not prohibited in Russia. In some US states, it is illegal to keep exotic species of animals, including tropical praying mantises. Endemic species can be kept as pets. In any case, you must comply with the laws of your country.

Is it true that you can go to jail for killing this insect?

No, that's not true. This is an old American joke. Although there are a lot of “strange” laws coming out now, especially in the West, so it doesn’t hurt to find out more about this if you live in the European Union or North America.

Often children themselves want and even promise that they will take care of pets, but caring for insects is not like walking the dog. So the question is: can a child care for a praying mantis?

Yes, when the child is under adult supervision. However, already at the age of 11-12 years, a child should be able to care for a praying mantis without the help of elders. For the youngest child It's best to help with feeding, regulating temperature and humidity, and cleaning and checking your pet's health.

We noticed that our exotic insect does not touch food at home. The praying mantis doesn't want to eat, what's wrong with it?

The praying mantis will not eat for several days before shedding its old skin. The molting process occurs. This is normal for many insects. After shedding, he will start eating again. If the mantis does not eat when not molting, offer it various types production In general, there is no need to worry, praying mantises can live for two weeks without food.

What are the signs that a praying mantis will moult soon?

For several days before molting, the mantis will hang upside down and not eat. Sometimes whitish stripes can be seen above the body of the mantis. As the mantis emerges from its larval state or becomes an adult, you will notice that the bulges above the wings (the area where the larva will grow wings) have become larger in volume.

Can a praying mantis bite a person or cause harm in some other way? In other words, are praying mantises dangerous for humans?

Although this is a very rare occurrence, the insect may grab your fingers and bite you. This happens if he thinks that your finger is prey. And, of course, this only happens if the mantis is enough large sizes to cover the finger. It is very easy to pick up a praying mantis without it biting you. In addition, they are not poisonous.

What are the signs that a praying mantis is considered an adult?

Most species have the same characteristics: adults have wings, while nymphs do not. Some species never grow wings, although this is rare.

Westerners love to keep various exotic animals as pets. After all, cats and dogs won’t surprise anyone anymore. Exotic insects, including praying mantises and stick insects, cannot leave exotic lovers indifferent. Therefore, if you have a desire to keep praying mantises at home, then this is quite feasible, because as such they do not require special care.