There are many interesting facts about praying mantises! Mantises can be seen and enjoyed by anyone, because they live all over the world. Their beautiful appearance is like no other. Their unique way of hunting and defending is amazing. They can eat almost anything smaller than themselves. Because mantises can eat almost anything smaller than themselves, farmers like to have them on their farms to protect the crops from harmful insects and rodents. Mantises are always hatching from their tiny eggs keeping their species from extinction.
About 1800 species of mantises live all over the Earth. Most of them live in Africa or Asia. The United States has 20 native species like the Carolina Mantis, but the Chinese Mantis and European Mantis were introduced to the US for agricultural purposes. Canada only has one native specie!
Praying mantises are beautiful insects. Their bent arms make them look like they are praying. The word mantis also means prophet. The praying mantises scientific name is mantis religiosa. They can be many different colors including brown, green, pink, and white. Although they can be all of those colors most are brown or green. Their natural colors help them to blend in with their surroundings. Some praying mantises look a lot like flowers. Others appear to have leaves growing out of them and still other mantises can look like small sticks. Most Mantises are at least 3 inches long. The world's heaviest mantis is the Giant Asian Mantis weighing about 1/4 oz. The mantises appearance helps them attract their prey.
These carnivorous insects have a unique way of catching their prey. Mantises arms were created so that they can grab their prey without it getting away. Mantises arms also help them with climbing. Another interesting thing about mantises is that they are the only insect that can turn their head 180 degrees! Their ability to turn their head behind their shoulders makes it easier to see their prey walking toward them or to help them see a predator sneaking up behind them. Some of their predators are bats, birds, frogs, spiders, and fish. Praying mantises have compound eyes that help them to see in all directions. Some people might be wondering what their prey is after reading this.
Praying mantises eat all kinds of things. Throughout a mantis' life it will slowly start to eat bigger and bigger insects. Young mantises (nymphs) will eat small fruit flies or even it's brother or sister. As it becomes an adult it will start to look for bigger meals that might include butterflies, crickets, frogs, scorpions, snakes or even birds! Chinese Mantises were found to have fed on pollen when there was a shortage of prey. Because of their big appetite farmers all across the world purchase and raise mantises, to help get rid of harmful bugs and rodents.
Mantises are great for agricultural purposes. They will eat the insects, snakes, rodents or birds that are harming the crop or landscape. Farmers buy them while they are young so that they will last longer. Mantises live all over the world and in order for them to stay that way they have to reproduce.
Young mantises, called nymphs, are created almost every second. They come into this world in an egg and can have from 10 to 400 siblings. A group of mantis eggs is called an oothecue. A special liquid hardens the oothecue for Winter keeping them warm and safe for the nymphs. Eggs will start to hatch in about 2 months. Praying mantises can fly but a female cannot fly after giving birth.
So many things are true about praying mantises. What isn't to like about it? Mantises live almost everywhere, allowing many people all over the planet to enjoy them. These bugs are so beautiful that even their prey can't resist looking them. Even their name suits the well. A praying mantis has no problem hunting because it can eat almost anything. Without this bug other insects and animals might be getting into peoples food. Imagine finding a rat in your dinner! With 10-400 mantises hatching almost every second praying mantises don't have to worry about becoming extinct. There isn't anything very bad about praying mantises.
About 1800 species of mantises live all over the Earth. Most of them live in Africa or Asia. The United States has 20 native species like the Carolina Mantis, but the Chinese Mantis and European Mantis were introduced to the US for agricultural purposes. Canada only has one native specie!
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| Malaysian Orchid Mantis |
Praying mantises are beautiful insects. Their bent arms make them look like they are praying. The word mantis also means prophet. The praying mantises scientific name is mantis religiosa. They can be many different colors including brown, green, pink, and white. Although they can be all of those colors most are brown or green. Their natural colors help them to blend in with their surroundings. Some praying mantises look a lot like flowers. Others appear to have leaves growing out of them and still other mantises can look like small sticks. Most Mantises are at least 3 inches long. The world's heaviest mantis is the Giant Asian Mantis weighing about 1/4 oz. The mantises appearance helps them attract their prey. These carnivorous insects have a unique way of catching their prey. Mantises arms were created so that they can grab their prey without it getting away. Mantises arms also help them with climbing. Another interesting thing about mantises is that they are the only insect that can turn their head 180 degrees! Their ability to turn their head behind their shoulders makes it easier to see their prey walking toward them or to help them see a predator sneaking up behind them. Some of their predators are bats, birds, frogs, spiders, and fish. Praying mantises have compound eyes that help them to see in all directions. Some people might be wondering what their prey is after reading this.Praying mantises eat all kinds of things. Throughout a mantis' life it will slowly start to eat bigger and bigger insects. Young mantises (nymphs) will eat small fruit flies or even it's brother or sister. As it becomes an adult it will start to look for bigger meals that might include butterflies, crickets, frogs, scorpions, snakes or even birds! Chinese Mantises were found to have fed on pollen when there was a shortage of prey. Because of their big appetite farmers all across the world purchase and raise mantises, to help get rid of harmful bugs and rodents.
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| Mantis Eating a Cricket |
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| Mantis Nymphs |
So many things are true about praying mantises. What isn't to like about it? Mantises live almost everywhere, allowing many people all over the planet to enjoy them. These bugs are so beautiful that even their prey can't resist looking them. Even their name suits the well. A praying mantis has no problem hunting because it can eat almost anything. Without this bug other insects and animals might be getting into peoples food. Imagine finding a rat in your dinner! With 10-400 mantises hatching almost every second praying mantises don't have to worry about becoming extinct. There isn't anything very bad about praying mantises.
Resources
www.wikipedia.org (Mantis), Biggest Bugs by George Beccaloni and another Insect book
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