What You Should Know About Praying Mantis

Praying mantis are insects with over 1,800 species all over the world. This insect’s most distinctive feature is their grasping legs in front that look as if they are praying. These legs are designed to better seizing and holding their prey. Praying mantises are harmless; in fact they are of great help to farmers in eating insects that are destroying the crops which is one of the praying mantis facts that are truly beneficial.

Mantises lay eggs in masses where hundreds of eggs are included. They are usually insulated by foamy materials that serve as their protection during winter. The distinguishing characteristics of praying mantis includes the head or the cranial part, the thorax which connects the insect’s legs and wings to its body, and the abdominal area which also differentiates the males from the females. The female mantis has bigger abdomen which makes it heavier and larger than the male. Its long neck located at the thorax allows the rotation is the mantis’ triangular head to 180 degrees.

The diet of praying mantis when in the wild composed mainly of insects. Adult mantis feeds n grasshoppers and crickets while the younger on feed on smaller insects such as drosophilae or pinhead crickets.

Benefits of Praying Mantis Facts on Gardeners

There are a lot of gardeners who need to be educated with praying mantis facts so that they will know what these insects can do to the garden and to the environment. If you have a garden in your backyard and you see a couple of praying mantises lurking, most of you might get rid of it because they look dangerous or the kids may get scared. But mantises are actually advantageous to the garden. One of the key facts More...

Pest Control Praying Mantis

When it comes to taking care of gardens and farms, pest control is always a crucial part of the process because pests can damage most of your plants or crops. There are numerous ways on how you can control pests but a natural and organic pest control method is through the use of praying mantises. Learning about praying mantis facts will be necessary to farmers and gardeners who would want to engage in this type of process. Praying mantises are More...

Praying Mantis Facts about their Reproduction

Among the most important praying mantis facts for biologists and scientists who study insects are the behaviors of praying mantises when they are mating. For many years, scientists have captured praying mantises and observed them in their laboratories to see how they mate and how they reproduce. One of the prominent results of the study is the fact that the female mantises actually cannibalize their male partners. The cannibalism of the praying mantises however is mostly observed in mantises that More...

Spotting a Praying Mantis

When considering spotting a praying mantis, look for an insect out there that looks like a branch. The praying mantis typically measures three-four inches in length. The most prominent physical features of this type of insect are its front legs and bulging eyes. When hunting, a praying mantis tucks its foreleg claws under and appears as if it is praying. Purchase an insect identification field guide that has color images. Many different praying mantis species exist, thus it is useful More...

Catching a Praying Mantis

The praying mantis is a master of both ambush and camouflage. This silent type of insect patiently waits for its next meal and usually blends in with surrounding leaves and/or flowers completely. The insect’s spiny and long frontlegs are generally strong and can instantly grasp prey and then hold on to it. Although a praying mantis can be easily caught, you must catch it cautiously. The legs of this insect have the tendency to poke and then cause a hand More...


Breeding Praying Mantis When you have plans of breeding praying mantis, you should know how to distinguish the females from the males, among other praying mantis facts. One of the easiest ways to do this is by counting the segments at their abdominal region. Female mantises have six segments while males have eight.Keeping the mantises healthy isn&rs...

Pregnant Praying Mantis behavior While females are known for feeding on males at the time of reproduction, this only takes place from five to thirty-one percent of the time, often when the female mantis is hungry. The male mantis at the time of mating puts a capsule, which contains his sperm, into the reproductive tract of the female. The female man...

Praying Mantis Facts on its Diet The praying mantis is one of the most interesting- looking insects that you may find. The appearance and the movements of this insect really intrigue kids. But aside from its appearance, the diet and the predatory behavior of the praying mantis are also fascinating. There are some praying mantis facts on its dietary ...

Hatching a Praying Mantis In order to start hatching a praying mantis, put the egg case into a terrarium, in case you are planning to keep them as pets. A terrarium can take the form of a fish bowl, a jam jar or any other container, as long as there is a small branch of plant left inside.Install mesh on the top to prevent the nymphs from getting awa...