Praying Mantis
praying mantis map
yellow is where praying mantis are located
Website: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/praying-mantis/?source=A-to-Z
classification
- Kingdom, Animal
- Phylum, Arthropoda
- Class, Insecta
- Order, Dictyoptera
- Family, Mantidae
- Genus, Stagomantis
what they eat!!
when they are just born and small, praying mantis eat little flies but as the praying mantis matures and becomes bigger they eat small scorpions, lizards, frogs, birds, snakes, fish, and even rodents
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis#Diet_and_predatory_behavior
evolution
They evolved from proto-cockroaches and Raphidiomimula burmitica are closely related. They have mantis like forelegs.
mating
The praying mantis mates 90% of the time by the female eating the head of the male. the male may become more vigorous if they are releasing sperm. one study has seen Chinese mantis dancing for each other before mating.
How they move?
they are very fast when attacking prey, at the end of the cycle some mantis grow wings, sometimes they can fly but most times it helps with short burst or high jumps
interesting fact
0.5 to 6in long
Size relative to a tea cup
avg. life span is 12 months
the state insect of Connecticut
its not endangered in America but is threatened in other countries because of habitat destruction
Bats and hornets are there enemies