Ever had an encounter with a Praying Mantis? It's something you won't soon forget!
Growing up I was a bit of a tomboy and would pick up just about anything except maybe a snake or a rat. Picking up a praying mantis was something I tried many, many times despite usually being pinched each and every time. I learned to be pretty careful about how I grabbed them. What was interesting is that they liked to frequent the large castor bean plants that lined the perimeter of our backyard.
Say, did you know that the female, after mating, will usually eat the male if he isn't fast enough? Girl power or an act of cannibalism?
Photo Credit: CatDancing.
Know about a praying mantis?
Praying Mantis FAQs
The insect order Mantodea or mantises consists of approximately 2,000 species[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/362942/mantid] 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats, of which a majority are in the family Mantidae. For most of the past century, only this single family was recognized within the order, and the term "mantid" was therefore historically used for any member of the order; technically, however, the term only refers to this one family, meaning the species in the other eight recently-established families are not mantids, by definition (i.e., they are empusids, or hymenopodids, etc.), and the term "mantises" (or the more colloquial "praying mantises") should be used when referring to the entire order. Often mistakenly spelled preying mantis (an eggcorn, since they are notoriously predatory), they are in fact named for the typical "prayer-like" stance. The word mantis derives from the Greek word mantis for prophet or fortune teller. In Europe, the name "praying mantis" refers to only a single species, Mantis religiosa. The closest relatives of mantises are the orders Isoptera (termites) and Blattodea (cockroaches), and these three groups together are sometimes ranked as an order rather than a superorder.
Praying Mantis by CatDancing
Praying Mantises = entire order
The more colloquial "praying mantises" should be used when referring to the entire order. Often mistakenly spelled preying mantis, they are in fact named for the typical "prayer-like" stance.
Praying Mantis reproduction + cannibalism
The female may start feeding by biting off the male's head (as with any prey), and if mating had begun, the male's movements may become even more vigorous in its delivery of sperm.
Early researchers thought that because copulatory movement is controlled by ganglion in the abdomen, not the head, removal of the male's head was a reproductive strategy by females to enhance fertilisation while obtaining sustenance.
Praying Mantis mating video
Girl power? or just act of cannibalism?
Female praying mantis eats male after mating
after (and while) they mate, the female praying mantis devours the male.
Runtime: 2:48
564107 views
10 Comments:
Praying Mantis mating ... GIRL POWER or CANNIBALISM?
After mating, the female will devour the male ...
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byIt's downright GIRL POWER!
quirkymoo says:
it's bloody awesome - and this is coming from a male vegetarian.
Posted July 31, 2008
The_Homeopath says:
Hey, we wear heels, they eat their mates - same song, different dance.
Posted June 18, 2008
DarkHairedRaven says:
Maybe it has something to do with them being able to mate for up to 6 hours!
Posted May 18, 2008
It's an act of CANNIBALISM!
dc64 says:
I like the praying mantis, but when I finally find the perfect mate, I don't think I'll eat him, (at least not this time).
Posted August 22, 2008
mantidgirl says:
im almost a teen and want to breed praying mantid but after watching the female scarf down the male like that im not so sure if i want to proseed with this idea i thought the mantid didnt have enough population now i see why. OOOhhh
Posted July 13, 2008
greg2213 says:
Heh. It's not Girl Power, it's Grrrrlll power! But, being a guy, guess which side I'm picking? :)
Posted April 13, 2008
scubadoctor says:
Speaking for all the males of the world this is downright cannibalism.
Posted April 13, 2008
Praying Mantis Death Duel
Death Duel of the Mantis
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Death Duel of Mantis (Sub Ep)
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Praying Mantis pics
Praying mantis at Bintaro, Banten province, Indonesia
Praying Mantis (Vietnam)This is a detail of
12 days later i met this
Praying Mantis, the mantis has very sharp eyes and can see very far away, Fung Y...
Gottesanbeterin (Heuschreckenart)Mantis ReligiosaPicture taken in South Franc...
Praying mantis, Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve, Tai Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Praying Mantis, Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve, Tai Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong.Nikon D...
This Praying Mantis sat on top of a thistle plant, chowing down on an unfortunat...
yakety yak%u2026 ^o^ it is impossible to look into the face of a pray mantis withou...
I have been hoping to get a praying mantis but had not seen any. Yesterday, my s...
Our friend found this praying mantis in his back yard near Redding, California i...
It was so windy yesterday that I thought I would not get out with my camera unti...
Praying Mantis (Vietnam)Check
A Praying Mantis have a light snack on a fly
Praying Mantis videos
Praying Mantis books
#1
#2
Manuelo, The Playing Mantis by Don Freeman
When Don Freeman died in 1978, he left behind illu more...0 points
Manuelo is a praying mantis who spends summer evenings listening raptly to outdoor concerts. How he longs to join in! But though he tries to make a flute from a cattail, a horn from a trumpet flower, and a harp from twigs, n...
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#6
Milo, the Mantis Who Wouldn't Pray (Max Lucado's Hermie & Friends) by Max Lucado's Hermie & Friends
When a big storm destroys Milo's Snack Shack, he d more...0 points
When a big storm destroys Milo's Snack Shack, he doesn't know what to do and that includes just talking to God about it. Milo thinks he has to get God's attention in order for God to hear him. Milo finally learns prays and realizes that God has been helping him all along. Ironically, all the things he was using to get God's attention are the very things he needs to rebuild his Snack Shack. The garden learns an important lesson about how to trust God after we pray and that His answers come in man...
0 points
#9
Praying Mantises: Hungry Insect Heroes (Insect World) by Sandra Markle
Look quickly and you might just see one of nature' more...0 points
#13
The Non-Praying Mantis: A Story About Prayer and Thankfulness by Matt Whitlock
Have you ever asked God for something but didn and more...0 points
Have you ever asked God for something but didn and #146;t get what you want?
The Non-Praying Mantis tells the story of a bug who wanted something, asked God for it, but didn and #146;t get exactly what she expected. In the end, Amanda discovers the secret of getting prayers answered.
We all have times when it seems like God isn and #146;t hearing our prayers, and our faith can waver. But when we earnestly seek God and delight in him, he gives us the desires of our heart. Help your children to un...
0 points#14
Praying Mantis buzz
- Praying Mantis
- After talking about it with a couple of people I was told it was a Praying Mantis. I googled it and YUP, there is a Praying Mantis in the skybar. I did a little research and the most interesting fact I found out about these little alien ...
- Flite Ticket!!!
- Its a happy news for me. When yin inform me that my name was not in 12th or 13th sept..I started to panic. But, lucky me..thanx to MARA..actually they hav book my ticket on the 11th of sept. Even though still book...but next week I'm ...
- Praying Mantis 1423
- _ shootpics posted a photo:. Praying Mantis 1423. © Bill Wilson Photography all rights reserved.
- Praying Mantis
- Killicks on the move posted a photo:. Praying Mantis. One of three we have found this week in one of our fields.
Drop me a line ...
What do you think of the praying mantis? Ever had an encounter with one? Got any interesting stories to share?
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dc64
Cool! Posted August 22, 2008 |
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lisadh
I've never been pinched by one and they're one of my favorite insects. Ok, my ONLY favorite insect. :-) Posted July 23, 2008 |
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enslavedbyfaeries
Eww, I could barely get my way through that video, -poor guy, headless and all. Very interesting little creatures and kinda cute, despite their cannibalistic behavior. Posted July 18, 2008 |
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totalhealth
when I was a kid, I could always find a praying mantis in our yard and I like playing with them... Posted July 10, 2008 |
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The_Homeopath
We actually call them our "little helpers" here in the garden. They're the only insects I've ever seen that actually seem to "look" at us! The way they tilt their heads and stare is so neat. Posted July 07, 2008 |
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