They have triangular heads poised on a long "neck," or elongated thorax. Mantids can turn their heads degrees to scan their surroundings with two large compound eyes and three other simple eyes located between them. Typically green or brown and well camouflaged on the plants among which they live, mantis lie in ambush or patiently stalk their quarry. They use their front legs to snare their prey with reflexes so quick that they are difficult to see with the naked eye.
Their legs are further equipped with spikes for snaring prey and pinning it in place. Moths, crickets, grasshoppers, flies, and other insects are usually the unfortunate recipients of unwanted mantid attention. However, the insects will also eat others of their own kind. The most famous example of this is the notorious mating behavior of the adult female, who sometimes eats her mate just after—or even during—mating. Yet this behavior seems not to deter males from reproduction.
Females regularly lay hundreds of eggs in a small case, and nymphs hatch looking much like tiny versions of their parents. All rights reserved. A praying mantis photographed at Houston Zoo in Texas.
Their front legs, also called the raptorial legs what do you think this means? Female praying mantises are larger and heavier than the males. Males have larger eyes and antennae. Praying Mantises have front facing eyes which is unusual for insects.
Mantises also have a compound multi-lensed eye structure at the front of their head called ocelli. The ocelli are more pronounced in males. Using this information, do you think you'd be able to tell the difference between male and female praying mantises? Since males are smaller than females, they are more agile. Females, on the other hand, are more powerful. Adult females are so large and heavy that most of them cannot fly!
Their wings cannot carry their bulky weight. Even the big species are not THAT big, maybe a maximum of 4 inches in length. For sure they are not a match of your average dog or house cat. But do you think the mantis cares? Not really. Sometimes the best defence is the offence. Instead of running away from a threat it will stay put and try to look bigger.
It will raise its wings and raptory arms and try to stand as tall as possible. Maybe even rocking from left to right to seem more intimidating. Does it work? Actually, it does! Animals that are not particularly interested in eating the mantis or have not yet experienced this are a bit suspicious of a prey that does not run away.
It might be venomous, poisonous or otherwise attack you. Better be carefull and not get too close. Additionally some mantis species have evolved bright colors on the inside of their arms or their lower wings. When resting these colors are not visible, but when attacked they can be flashed to intimidate their attacker. This was believed to be true until recently when a team at the Neuroscience at Newcastle University proved it all too wrong.
Praying mantises are almost entirely diurnal because they use their excellent sight to hunt prey. However, there are a few species that become active at night possibly responding to the artificial street lights.
Mantises are sit-and-wait hunters. If a prey moves somewhere around the mantis then the mantis inspects it using forvea. The inspection is over however if the prey is few inches away from the mantis. The predator immediately attacks the prey using its raptorial forelegs.
Simmons, Peter J. Nerve Cells and Animal Behaviour. Cambridge University Press. ISBN Rossel, S
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