What zone is the praying mantis in? Common praying mantis (Mantis religiosa)

Origin of the species and description

Praying mantises are not just a species, but a whole suborder arthropod insects with many species, numbering up to two thousand. They all have the same habits and similar body structure, differing only in color, size and habitat. All praying mantises are predatory insects, absolutely ruthless and incredibly voracious, which slowly deal with their prey, enjoying the whole process.

Video: Praying Mantis

The praying mantis received its academic name back in the 18th century. The famous naturalist Carl Lynaeus gave this creature the name “Mantis religiosa” or “religious priest” due to the insect’s unusual posture while in ambush, which was similar to the posture of a praying person. In some countries, this strange insect has less euphonious names because of its creepy habits, for example, the praying mantis is known as the “devil's horse.”

The praying mantis is an ancient insect and there is still debate in the scientific community about its origin. Some believe that this species came from ordinary cockroaches, others have a different opinion, giving them a separate evolutionary path.

Interesting fact: One of the styles of Chinese martial arts Wushu is called praying mantis. Ancient legend says that a Chinese peasant came up with this style while watching the exciting battles of these predatory insects.

Appearance and features

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. Oral apparatus belongs to 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 look - has very large sizes up to 15 cm, the colors are the same as common mantises, characterized by a nocturnal lifestyle;
spike-eyed mantis - African giant, which is able to 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 and are small in size - only 30-40 mm.

Where does the praying mantis live?

The habitat of mantises is very extensive and covers many countries in Asia, South and Central. There are numerous populations of mantises in Spain, China, India,. Some species live in the territory. Predatory insects were brought to and where they also reproduce successfully.

In tropical and subtropical conditions praying mantises live:

in high humidity;
in rocky areas, warmed by the scorching sun.

In Europe, mantises are common in spacious areas. These are heat-loving creatures that do not tolerate temperatures below 20 degrees very well. IN lately Some areas of Russia are periodically subject to real invasions of praying mantises, which migrate from other countries in search of food.

Mantises change their habitat very rarely. Having chosen one tree or even a branch, they remain on it all their lives if there is enough food around. Insects actively move only during mating season, in the presence of danger or in the absence of the required number of objects for hunting. Praying mantises thrive in terrariums. The most comfortable temperature The environment for them is 25-30 degrees with a humidity of at least 60 percent. They do not drink water, since they get everything they need from food. Under natural conditions, some more aggressive and powerful species can displace smaller ones, even to the point of complete extermination in a certain area.

Interesting fact: In a number of regions of South Asia, predatory mantises are specially bred in artificial conditions as effective weapon against malaria mosquitoes and other insects that carry dangerous infectious diseases.

Now you know where does the praying mantis live. Let's find out what the insect eats.

What does a praying mantis eat?

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 and bees, while the size of the prey may even exceed the size of the predator;
large species are capable of attacking small amphibians, small birds and;
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 the mating process. 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 more. 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.

Features of character and lifestyle

Praying mantises are solitary predators that do not leave their usual place of residence or do so in exceptional cases: in search of places richer in food, fleeing from a stronger enemy. If males are able, if necessary, to fly over fairly long distances, then females, due to their larger size, do this extremely reluctantly. Not only do they not care for their offspring, but on the contrary, they can easily feast on them. Having laid eggs, the female completely forgets about them, perceiving the young generation exclusively as food.

These insects are distinguished by their agility, lightning-fast reaction, cruelty; they are capable of hunting and eating individuals twice their size. Females are especially aggressive. They do not tolerate defeat and will finish off their prey for a long time and purposefully. They hunt mainly during the day, and at night they quiet down among the foliage. Some species, such as the Chinese mantis, prefer night look life. All praying mantises are consummate masters camouflage, they easily pretend to be a dry twig or flower, merging with the foliage.

Interesting fact: In the mid-20th century, the Soviet Union developed a program to use praying mantises in agriculture as a defense against harmful insects. This idea later had to be completely abandoned, since in addition to pests, mantises actively destroyed bees and other insects useful for farming.

Social structure and reproduction

Mantises live from two months to one year; in rare cases, some individuals exceed the mark of one and a half years, but only in artificially created conditions. Young animals are capable of reproduction within a couple of weeks after birth. During their lives, females participate in mating games twice, males often do not survive the first breeding season, which in mid-latitudes usually begins in August and ends in September, and in warmer climates can last almost the entire year.

The male attracts the female with his dance and the secretion of a specific sticky secretion, by the smell of which she recognizes it as her kind and does not attack. The mating process can last from 6 to 8 hours, as a result of which not every future father is lucky - more than half of them are eaten by a hungry partner. The female lays eggs from 100 to 300 at a time on the edges of leaves or on the bark of trees. During laying, it secretes a special liquid, which then hardens, forming a cocoon or ootheca to protect the offspring from external factors.

The egg stage can last from several weeks to six months depending on the air temperature, after which the larvae crawl into the light and appearance radically different from their parents. The first moult occurs immediately after hatching and there will be at least four of them before they look like their adult relatives. The larvae develop very quickly, and after hatching they begin to feed on small flies and mosquitoes.

Natural enemies of praying mantises

Under natural conditions, praying mantises have a lot of enemies:

they can be eaten by many birds, rodents, including flying ones, and snakes;
Among these insects, cannibalism is very common, eating their own offspring, as well as the young of others.

IN wildlife Sometimes you can watch quite spectacular battles between these aggressive insects, as a result of which one of the fighters will definitely be eaten. The lion's share of praying mantises die not from birds and other enemies, but from their own eternally hungry relatives.

Interesting fact: If the mantis is attacked by an enemy larger than it in size, it raises up and opens its lower wings, which have a pattern in the form of a large, terrifying eye. At the same time, the insect begins to loudly rustle its wings and make sharp clicking sounds, trying to scare the enemy. If the trick fails, the mantis either attacks or tries to fly away.

To protect and camouflage themselves from their enemies, praying mantises use the unusual coloration. They merge with surrounding objects; some species of these insects can literally turn into flower buds, for example, an orchid mantis, or into a small living twig, which can only be revealed by especially mobile antennae and head.

Population and species status

Populations of some species of this unusual insect are becoming increasingly scarce, especially for species living in the northern and central regions of Europe. In more warm regions The mantis population status is stable. The main threat to these insects is not them natural enemies, and human activity, as a result of which forests are cut down, fields are plowed up, which are the habitat of mantises. There are situations when one species displaces another, for example, a tree mantis, living in a certain area, displaces common mantis, since it is particularly voracious, it is stronger and more aggressive than its relative.

In cooler areas, these insects reproduce very slowly and the larvae may not be born for up to six months, so their numbers take an extremely long time to recover. The main task for maintaining the population is to keep the steppes and fields untouched by agricultural machinery. Praying mantises can be very useful for agriculture, especially the less aggressive species.

Mantises are not dangerous to humans despite their sometimes very frightening appearance and menacing hissing. Some particularly large individuals thanks to strong jaws may damage skin, so they should be kept away from children. Such an amazing and strange insect like mantis, leaves no one indifferent. While many scientific minds continue to argue about the main stages of its evolution and ancient ancestors, some, having carefully examined the praying mantis, call it an insect that arrived from another planet, a creature of extraterrestrial origin.

If you look at a photo of a praying mantis, you can see an insect with its front legs folded at the elbows; its pose resembles a person reciting a prayer. This is where its name comes from.

The Latin name, Mantis religiosa, was given to it scientist Karl Linnaeus, noticing his posture during the ambush. Translated, this means “religious priest.” This name has come down to us as “mantis”.

There are other names for this insect, for example, the Spaniards call it the devil's horse, apparently it received this name for its creepy habits.

Description of the praying mantis

In natural conditions, about two thousand representatives of the order Praying Mantis are common. The praying mantis insect is quite large, some representatives reach a length of seventeen centimeters.

The body of the praying mantis is elongated. The head has the shape of a triangle and can rotate 360 degrees. This feature makes it possible to notice an enemy creeping up from behind.

Pay attention!

At the edges of the head there are large eyes with a facet structure, and above the base of the antennae there are three more simple eyes. At the bottom of the head there is a gnawing type mouth.

Most representatives have wings that allow them to fly. But mainly only males fly, since females, due to their heavy weight, they cannot do this.

The praying mantis has two pairs of wings: front and back, very often there are bright patterns on the hind wings. But there are species that do not have wings at all.

Feeding mantises

Praying mantises are typical predators. They can sit in ambush for a long time, lying in wait for their prey. Their body is adapted to a predatory lifestyle.

The front paws are designed as a grasping mechanism. With their help, praying mantises capture their prey and hold them during a meal. Powerful jaws allow you to chew even larger prey.

Praying mantises do not feed on carrion; they prefer to eat their prey alive. What do praying mantises eat? They attack flies, mosquitoes, bees, and butterflies. Large representatives of this family eat even small rodents or birds.

Pay attention!

Mantis coloring

The color of these insects depends on the conditions in which they live. Thus, mantises living among greenery are green in color, while those living on the ground are brown.

Thanks to their camouflage color, they can sit in ambush for a long time, waiting for their prey and attacking unnoticed. They rarely leave their habitats, only in cases of food shortage.

Reproduction of praying mantises

At the end of summer, the male begins to look for a female. During the mating season, males perform courtship dances in front of females. And during mating, the female most often bites off the male’s head, and then eats him.

Scientists do not know the exact reasons why this happens. It is believed that this is how they replenish the supply of protein necessary for laying eggs.

The female is usually much larger than the male, and therefore easily eats him. If the female is not hungry, then her partner has the opportunity to escape in time.

Pay attention!

Depending on the species, the female can lay up to 400 eggs. She lays her eggs in a special capsule made of a sticky substance. This capsule (ootheca) protects future offspring. Larvae crawl out of the eggs and, after several molts, turn into adults.

Enemies of Mantises

There are many enemies in the wild and among praying mantises. They can be bats, birds, snakes. Very often they are eaten by their fellows. Battles between praying mantises or other enemies can be very spectacular.

In case of danger, the praying mantis spreads its front legs, spreads its wings, showing all its brightly colored parts. At the same time, its wings can make a rustling, frightening sound.

Benefits and harms for humans

The insect behaves quite aggressively, so many people have a fear of it. Moreover, many representatives are large in size.

The question arises, why is the praying mantis dangerous for humans? The praying mantis does not pose a serious threat to humans, but can easily injure with its claws. To avoid trouble, you should not let small children near it, because the habits of the insect are far from angelic.

By eating many pests, the predator brings benefits agriculture, but at the same time it also destroys beneficial insects, such as bees.

Photos of praying mantises

Type: Arthropods

Class: Insects

Squad: Cockroaches

Suborder: Praying Mantis

Family: Real praying mantises

Subfamily: Mantinae

Tribe: Mantini

Genus: Praying Mantises

View: Common praying mantis (Mantisreligiosa)

Description of the species

The scientific name of the species in Latin is Mantisreligiosa. The word mantis is translated “priest”, “prophet”, religiosa - “religious”. Carl Linnaeus did not choose the name by chance; when awaiting prey, the common mantis or the religious mantis folds its shins into the groove of its thighs. His pose resembles a man frozen in prayer.

The common praying mantis (Mantisreligiosa) belongs to the order Praying Mantis, which includes 2,800 species. The insect's body is narrow and elongated. Males grow up to 43-52 mm, females are much larger - 50-75 mm. An anatomical feature of mantises is the structure of the forelimbs. Grasping legs with spiny elongated femurs and tibiae are designed for holding prey. The thigh and lower leg in a ligament function on the principle of scissors. On the inner side of the coxae of the forelimbs there is dark spot with a white mark in the middle.

Despite the fact that females are larger than males, males have longer antennae and larger eyes.

The head is triangular, mobile, the insect is able to look back. On the sides there are large, convex compound eyes. In European mantises they have a black pupil. On the forehead there are long thread-like antennae and three simple ocelli. The mouthparts of the gnawing type are directed downward. The common mantis has two pairs of well-developed wings. Light males and young females are capable of flying over considerable distances.

The forewings are narrow and leathery, they replace the elytra. The hind wings are wide, and when at rest they are folded on the back like a fan. The pronotum expands in the upper part, but never covers the head. The abdomen is elongated, soft, consists of 10 segments. On the last segment there are appendages - cerci. There are 10 pairs of spiracles on the sides of the body.

Color and camouflage

The color type of the common mantis is protective. Body color can be green (in 80% of cases), yellow, light or dark brown. Camouflage coloring allows you to blend in with the environment. When the insect is motionless, it completely mimics foliage or a twig. Camouflage serves two functions: it allows you to hunt from ambush and hide from enemies.

Some praying mantises have stunningly complex and effective camouflage patterns that rival any other animal. Some can blend in so well with trees and leaves that they are almost impossible to notice. They even sway, as if leaves and twigs were being shaken by a light breeze. Some of the most fantastic camouflages are those of the violin mantis from India and the orchid mantis from Malaysia. They are lilac-violet or hot pink with splashes of the right shade of green and strategically placed dark areas, and can bend their abdomen so that it appears exact copy parts of a flower. Even experts can mistake them for a flower.

When attacked by an enemy, the mantis opens its wings to increase in size. It sways from side to side and raises its front legs and the edge of its abdomen threateningly. All actions are aimed at scaring away the aggressor. If the enemy is too large, the mantis flies away.

Spreading

Widely distributed in the southern regions of Europe, reaching north to 54° northern latitude; Front and Central Asia, Kazakhstan, North Africa, in the south of the African continent it reaches the Transvaal and the Cape Land (South Africa). Thanks to man, it went far beyond its range, as it was brought by trading ships to North America and Australia. In Russia, distributed in the European part (south of 50 - 54° N), in the Caucasus, in the steppe zone southern Urals, in the south of Siberia and the Far East.

Types of praying mantises

There are more than 2,000 species of praying mantises.

Below is a description of several varieties:

Common praying mantis (lat. Mantis religiosa) 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 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. A distinctive feature of this species is a black spot, which is located on both coxae of the front pair of legs on the 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.

Praying 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 brown stripes of varying widths run throughout the body, head and paws. The elytra and pronotum are colored olive-green.

Praying mantis Creobroter gemmatus, which is also called Indian flower mantis, is a typical inhabitant rain forests India, Vietnam and other South Asian countries. 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 spines on the thighs different heights. The body is colored cream with brown or greenish spots.

Praying mantis Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii lives in areas with hot and humid climate. 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.

Orchid mantis (lat. Hymenopus coronatus) distributed in the tropical forests of India, Malaysia and Indonesia. This insect is considered one of the most beautiful representatives of the order. Got its name from external resemblance with orchid flowers, on which he hides in anticipation of his 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, a small head and thread-like antennae.

Praying Mantis Idolomantisdiabolica, which is also called Damn flower or Devil's flower lives in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and other countries East Africa, where it lives on the branches of bushes and trees. Adult mantises of this species are quite large in size. 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.

Eastern heterochaeta (lat. Heterochaeta orientalis), which also has an 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.

Praying mantis Empusa pennata- 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. 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.

Praying Mantis Phyllocraniaparadoxa lives in fairly dry areas of Africa, located south of the desert Sahara, 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.

Mantis Metallyticussplendidus lives in India, Malaysia, Sumatra and other countries Southeast Asia. Hunts for prey in the branches of trees or bushes, 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.

Praying Mantis Amelesspallanziania 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 in 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.

Mantis Blepharopsismendica, 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.

Praying mantis Rhombodera basalis lives in tropical zone Malaysia, Thailand and India. Adult females can grow up to 8-9 cm in length, males are slightly smaller. Characteristic feature The mantis is a slightly enlarged pronotum, resembling a diamond shape. The body and wing covers of the insect are colored turquoise-green with a blue tint.

Sarawak mantis / Hestiasula sarawaka. The Saravar mantis, which lives on the island of Kalimantan, in addition to its frightening defensive pose, makes specific sounds. In this mantis, all parts of the body visible from above when at rest are gray or brown in color. When irritated, the insect spreads its front legs and moves both pairs of wings to the side.

Malaysian leaf-shaped mantis (lat. Deroplatys dessicata) widespread both in the tropical forests of Malaysia or Indonesia, and in the humid thickets of Sumatra and Borneo. Female Malaysian leaf-shaped mantises are much larger in size than 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.

Mantis Deroplatys lobata lives in wet forests Malaysia, as well as in tropical thickets on the islands of Borneo 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.

Praying mantis Aethalochroa insignis 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.

Lifestyle

The praying mantis lives and hunts like a typical ambush hunter. The predator freezes until the prey is within reach. It grabs prey with its front legs and starts eating from the head. Males are careful in choosing hunting objects; they attack flies, locusts and other small insects. Large females often attack victims almost equal in size to them. Aggressive individuals attack lizards, birds, and frogs. They jump on the reptile's back and bite its head. The fight continues for several minutes, in the process the hunter can become the victim. If the outcome is successful, the prey is eaten within 2-3 hours. The female remains well fed for up to 4-5 days.

You can meet Mantisreligiosa in the forest, steppe herbs, and meadows. Insects do not even avoid large cities, where they have adapted to live in grass, parks and gardens. Favorite places habitat of the common mantis tall trees and bush. Insects prefer sedentary image life. They do not leave their usual territory, they move between tiers. For movement, four limbs are used, less often wings.

Given enough food, they spend their entire lives on one plant. Insects have excellent vision, they detect the slightest movement in environment. Camouflage coloring allows you to get closer to your prey unnoticed. Hunting takes place during the daytime. All soft tissues of the prey are eaten, leaving chitinous legs and wings. How long a common mantis lives depends on the amount of food and gender. The age of females is longer; on average, representatives of the species live 2-3 months in natural conditions. In captivity, the life expectancy of insects increases several times and is 12-13 months.

Nutrition

Praying mantises are predatory insects. They catch their victims with strong front legs covered with sharp spines. The praying mantis, waiting for prey with its front legs “humbly” folded, slightly resembles a praying person - hence the name of the insects. Female praying mantises are larger, more voracious and more aggressive than males. Males feed mainly on small insects, and huge females often attack even such relatively large animals as lizards, frogs and birds.

Reproduction

People have repeatedly observed how they kill and eat their partners during or after mating. In fact, in most cases, insect mating occurs normally. And if the female eats the male, she does it “out of forgetfulness,” mistaking him for an opportune victim. The fact is that when a female develops eggs, her body requires additional amounts of protein and at this time she becomes especially voracious.

Before mating, the male praying mantis performs an intricate dance in front of the female and sends her an odorous signal, releasing special substances into the air. This helps him somehow protect his life: otherwise the female would probably take him for a tasty prey.

After mating, the female praying mantis lays several dozen eggs. But before that, she builds special “bags” for them from foamy protein material – ootheca. Foamy liquid is produced by special glands in the abdomen of the insect. First, the female attaches a ball of foam to a tree branch. While the foam is wet and soft, it creates several small chambers (recesses) in it and lays one egg in each chamber. After some time, the foam hardens in air and turns into durable material, resembling polystyrene. Ootecae protect eggs from unfavorable external influences: they stand negative temperature and are not destroyed by pesticides.

The mantis larvae (nymphs) hatching from the eggs are selected from the ootheca through a single hole at its apex. Praying mantis larvae are very similar to adult insects, but lack wings. The nymphs of some mantises live in nests and disguise themselves as ants.

Enemies of Mantises

When attacked by an enemy (snakes, birds, bat or a chameleon) 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 sound created by the contact of the upper part of the forelimb with the thigh. If the enemy turns out to be much stronger, the praying mantis prefers to retreat and flies away, however, seeing its advantage, it bravely confronts the enemy and often turns out to be the winner in such a fight.

Mantis and man

For example, it is widely believed that praying mantises only kill “harmful” insects, but this is not true. Praying mantises are equally eager to feast on, for example, honey bees and garden pests.

There are about 1,800 species of praying mantises. Two species are widespread in the United States - the introduced Chinese mantis, 8–13 cm long, and the native Carolina mantis, reaching 5 cm in length. Scientists disagree on how to classify the insect family Mantidae. Some group them with other insects in a squad Dictyoptera. Others place them in a separate detachment - Mantodea.

Evolutionists claim that praying mantises evolved from the same ancestor as cockroaches, but this is based on belief rather than observable and verifiable evidence.

Once the obligatory tribute to evolution has been paid, most scientists marvel at the amazing design of the praying mantis. For example, in reference to the lightning speed and strong muscles of the praying mantis's front legs, the researchers use words such as "superbly equipped," "sophisticated," and that "their front legs are amazingly designed."

In the USA, they are used to a limited extent in gardens for growing organic fruits. In general, the condition of this group of insects is good. Species such as spotted iris, striped empusa and short-winged bolivaria are included in the regional Red Books.

Keeping praying mantises at home

Terrarium

It would be a very exotic and unusual act to get yourself a pet praying mantis, wouldn’t it? However, there are people who have such “pets” and if you also want to join them, then the first thing you will have to take care of is the terrarium. Suitable for a relatively small glass or plastic terrarium with a mesh lid, its dimensions should be at least three times the size of the mantis itself. Inside it would be nice to place twigs or small plants on which the praying mantis will climb like trees.

Temperature

Praying mantises are heat-loving insects, so the optimal temperature for them will be from +23 to +30 C. You can use special heaters for terrariums.

Humidity

Also, do not forget about humidity, which is also important for these insects. The optimal humidity for praying mantises is 40-60%, and to maintain it, you can place a small container of water inside the terrarium.

What to feed praying mantises at home?

Live food. Crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches, and flies are perfect. Some species of praying mantises will not mind eating ants. And at the same time, they need to be fed regularly, so keeping such “pets” can be somewhat troublesome. But there is no need to water the praying mantises, since necessary for the body They get liquid from food.

Deroplatys desiccata perfectly camouflages itself with fallen leaves, hence its name - "great mantis of withered leaves." Lives in the tropics of Malaysia.

Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii. This spiky pink mantis usually waits for its prey by merging with pink flowers. At the same time, the bright color serves as a warning to birds who want to feast on it.

Heterochaeta Orientalis, African spiny-eyed mantis. In color and body shape, it resembles a branch of the bush in which it lives and hunts. Unusual compound eyes equipped with “spikes” allow him to see prey even behind him.

Blepharopsis mendica, thistle mantis. Calm and non-aggressive, these mantises rarely engage in combat with anything larger than themselves. Just trying to scare the enemy, they take a threatening pose, spreading their wings and showing bright parts of their body.

Rhombodera basalis, Malaysian shield mantis. Another resident tropical forests, preferring a humid and warm environment. Quite popular as a pet.

Idolomantis diabolica, which received unusual name"damn flower" A large mantis that pretends to be flowers and leaves, both fresh and withered. Depending on the environment, its color and shape changes slightly.

Miomantis caffra, inhabitants South Africa. Since 1978 they were brought to New Zealand a boy from Auckland. The colony survived and the insects spread throughout the north of the country.

Choeradodis rhombicollis, Perunian shield-bearing mantis. Like other representatives of its subfamily, it perfectly camouflages itself under green foliage.

Pogonogaster tristani - rare species mantises, usually not visible to humans. Their body is covered with moss-like hairs and spines to blend in while lying in ambush.

Hymenopus coronatus, orchid mantis. It has a marvelous pearlescent color that disguises it as its habitat - orchid flowers. Males of this species are almost half the size of females.

Introducing ten absolutely stunning species of praying mantises. Some acquired this appearance for the sake of camouflage, others to attract the opposite sex, and others to scare away enemies. Another reason to be convinced that nature is the greatest artist.

This is not surprising, because the insect is very aggressive and even attacks its relatives. Even during mating, the female praying mantis is known to eat the male. In this regard, the question arises, what differences does the praying mantis insect have, why is this representative of arthropod dangerous and useful for humans? Does its size matter? After all, if we take flies and mosquitoes as an example, it becomes clear that even a tiny creature can cause serious harm to health. Thus, mosquitoes spread malaria and other serious diseases. Praying mantises are not small by insect standards. Different types reach from four to nine centimeters in length! Add to this the ability to camouflage and the habits of a predator - there is something to worry about.

Why does a female praying mantis eat the male during mating??

The breeding season for praying mantises occurs from August to September. Males go searching dangerous girlfriends, but family happiness is not expected for predatory insects. The female eats the male directly during mating, starting from the head. After all, the nerve nodes on the abdomen are responsible for the sexual process. Experts have studied this behavior of praying mantises.

In the early stages of research into the biology of these insects, scientists were of the opinion that the female behaved in such a way as to increase the amount of sperm she received from the agonizing male mantis.

Modern entomologists have come to the conclusion that this version is erroneous. After careful research, it became clear that the female praying mantis devours the male only in order to obtain an additional source of proteins for the development of eggs.

Why is it believed that the female praying mantis necessarily eats the male during mating? This does not always happen. It is known that especially cautious males are able to complete their mission and quickly get out of the sight of their predatory friend.

Can a praying mantis bite a person??

Young praying mantises behave more modestly than adults, do not attack large prey and do not even try to bite a person. The insects do not pose a serious threat, but they can injure with their claws. An adult can easily survive such a nuisance, but small child It’s better to protect it from meeting an aggressive praying mantis. The predator even hunts small birds and mammals if they were careless to disturb his peace.

Can a praying mantis bite an adult when it encounters it? Of course, such a possibility exists. However, children are eager to explore the world around us and have a better chance of meeting dangerous insects. It is better to keep very young children away from this creature to prevent pain. Don't frighten kids too much with the praying mantis. In the forest or steppe there are much more dangerous creatures: poisonous snakes, stinging wasps and rodents that carry the infection.

Benefits of the praying mantis

Praying mantises are widely used by gardeners to control pests. Because of their omnivorous nature, they quickly deal with all the inhabitants of the garden or garden, saving plants and vegetables from death. These insects have become loyal allies people in the agricultural sector. However, the main advantage of praying mantises is also its disadvantage. The fact is that along with pests, beneficial insects, such as bees, also die in their paws.

The insect mantis, what makes it dangerous and useful for humans is its aggressive gluttony. It bites furiously, fighting all living creatures, it is useful as an entomophage, destroying garden pests. In any case, the insect cannot but attract the attention of both scientists and ordinary people.