Predatory beauty. What does a mantis eat in the wild? What does an ordinary mantis eat?

15.03.2020

Type - Arthropods
Class - Insects
Squad - Cockroaches
Suborder - Mantis (Mantodea)

The famous Swedish scientist and traveler Karl Linney gave the scientific name to the mantis: Mantis religiosa. Mantis in Greek means "prophet", "priest"; religiosa - religious. Why did the mantis get such a strange name? Look at the photo: a mantis is like a prayer. He stands only on four legs out of six, and holds his forelimbs folded in front of the muzzle, as if he is praying to the Lord

The engraving of the famous Dutch artist Maurits Escher depicts a mantis praying for the remission of sins of the deceased religious dignitary. A praying mantis really looks like a person: it holds food in its “hands”, it is washed after a meal, it can turn around (the only one of all insects!) And look vigilantly, just like a person.

But the mantis is not at all as pious as it might seem. In fact, a predatory insect waits in ambush for an careless prey in order to seize it with a lightning-fast movement.

Mantis is a typical predator

Praying mantis is a typical example of lurking predators, or, in other words, an "ambush". For hours, he can sit quietly in a secluded place, waiting for prey. Camouflage coloring allows the mantis to merge with the vegetation, and even its body shape resembles a part of the plant. Although it lives in an abundance of greenery, it does not accept plant foods. Moreover, the carnivorous insect eats its prey exclusively alive.

Praying mantises are merciless not only to other insects smaller than them in size, which for them is nothing but a delicious dinner, but also to their relatives. It is necessary to know the one who keeps this aggressive creature as a pet. Two or more mantises are unlikely to get along, especially if one is superior in size to the other.

In the Middle Ages, in Japan, the mantis was considered a symbol of courage and cruelty, and even put the image of an insect on the arms of samurai swords. And one of the positions in kung fu repeats the pose of a mantis ready for battle. In addition, China believed that the mantis has healing powers and can cure some diseases. The ancient Greeks considered the mantis a messenger of spring and a predictor of weather, called it a "prophet" and a "diviner." And in some European countries, even today, mantis is credited with some kind of magical power. Perhaps this creature, the object of superstition, will arouse your interest and you want to keep it in your quality?

Mantis: appearance and structural features

Mantis are large insects, and females are much larger than males. In the world there are about two thousand species of mantis. The common mantis (lat. Mantis religiosa) has a size of about 6 cm in length. The largest mantis - Chinese mantis - reaches a length of 15 cm.

The body of the mantis is elongated, the head is almost triangular, mobile. Large round convex eyes, which are directed slightly forward and downward, provide him with a much wider view than a person. And thanks to its extremely flexible neck, the mantis can turn its head so that it will notice any creature approaching from behind. The mouth is well developed and has biting jaws or a sucking proboscis.

Among the mantis there are both winged and wingless. In wing-equipped insects, both pairs of wings are well developed. The front wings are narrower than the hind wings and more dense. Wide webbed hind wings in a calm state are fan-shaped and covered by elytra. I must say that the wings for their intended purpose, i.e. for flight, a mantis is rarely used. Rather, he needs them to intimidate prey, as well as enemies.

The body structure of the mantis indicates that the insect is well adapted to a predatory way of life. The abdomen is ten-segmented, soft and flattened, with numerous long outgrowths - cerci (serve as olfactory organs). A long thigh is seated along the lower edge with three rows of strong spikes. The lower leg also has 3 rows of pronounced spines. The thigh and lower leg that form together form a powerful grasping apparatus that acts like scissors.

Praying Mantis - Camouflage Master

Some species of mantis are green in color, so they are difficult to notice among the grass and foliage, others can cast pinkish, as a result, merge with flower petals. And, for example, the Indian mantis has a brown hue and on the earth looks like a fallen leaf.

The body shape of the mantis and various camouflage colors allow the insect to merge with plants, which makes it almost invisible to both potential victims and enemies. The mantis itself can also become a victim of larger predators (birds, lizards). To protect against enemies, the mantis has a number of protective devices.

So, camouflage color makes the mantis hiding in the grass almost invisible. Gives insect movement. Under ordinary circumstances, the mantis moves very slowly, but in danger it can quickly crawl into shelter. With a clear threat, the insect visually increases the area of \u200b\u200bits body, spreading its wings, and begins to sway from side to side, struggling to scare away the enemy. With front legs with sharp spikes, the insect tries to hit the enemy.

Praying mantises are large predatory insects with an elongated body, a triangular head and forelimbs, designed to grab and hold prey. They resemble the ominous cosmic aliens, although they are ordinary natives of planet Earth. The question of what a mantis looks like is becoming less and less relevant. In order to go fishing for an instance for his entomological collection, this knowledge will soon be no longer required. The common mantis is becoming a rare species in Russia due to the plowing of the steppes, which are its main habitat. It is listed in the Red Book of some Russian regions.

Are praying mantises found in Russia

The most common insect species in Europe is the "common mantis." This species is also found in Russia, because borders do not matter for the distribution of insects. Going for a walk in the steppe regions there is a chance to discover one of its species. However, civilization is increasingly violating the habitual way of these insects. There is an opportunity to see a mantis even on asphalt in the middle of the city or on your own windowsill. Of course, the north, the less likely it is to encounter such an insect, since it feels good in only arid, hot climates.

Where do praying mantises live in Russia

The mantis lives in the southern part of central Russia. It can be seen in the Crimea and the Caucasus. Praying mantis settles both in the steppe grass and on tree branches. If there is enough food around, it can stay in one place throughout life. A mantis, where it does not live in Russia, is it only rare to find it in the northern regions. Only rare individuals are found there. What types of insects are known and which territories are the predominant type of their habitat:

Due to the large size of the insect, the mantis is easy to catch. He will stop the subject of creative biology assignments for Russian schoolchildren. The insect is contained in a jar with ventilation holes in the lid. Feed them flies, larvae. Food must be alive: the insect is accustomed to hunting and will not eat carrion. It is better not to plant Bogomolov in one container: a stronger individual will destroy the weakest in the struggle for living space. Thus, whether there are various praying mantises in Russia, every curious schoolboy knows.

Despite the fact that mantises are used to living on trees or among the steppe grass, some species are able to adapt to new urban living conditions. Indeed, without the ability to adapt to changes, the insect will not be able to continue its species, and who knows, perhaps in the not too distant future, the mantis will become an ordinary creature for the inhabitants of megacities like a fly.

Mantis (Mantodea) - one of the orders of insects. There was a time when they were combined into one detachment with cockroaches, because according to a number of signs (body structure, wings, the formation of egg capsules for eggs to stay in them) they are very similar. However, the behavior and lifestyle of the mantis differs significantly from cockroach habits. Praying mantises are active predators and lead a lonely lifestyle.

Most often, the idea of \u200b\u200ba praying mantis coincides with its “prayer” posture, as if standing, with the front legs folded in the upper part of the abdomen. These legs perform a grasping function, have sharp spikes and have the ability to open like a penknife. Praying mantis throws them forward with lightning speed, deftly capturing prey.
About 2 thousand different species of mantis are known in the world. An ordinary mantis is about 6 centimeters long. Their usual food is insects. However, in some cases, such a mantis can kill and eat a lizard up to 10 centimeters long. The eating process lasts up to 3 hours, the digestion process - 6 days. For large tropical mantis species, small lizards, birds, and frogs are common food.

The coloring of the mantis is very interesting and diverse. With its help, they disguise themselves as habitats. It can exactly match the color of branches, flowers, grass, leaves of trees and stones, among which they hide. If the mantis is motionless, it is almost impossible to notice in the natural environment. The presence of a mantis can only give out movement. The insect moves very slowly, however, in case of obvious danger, it can move to a safe distance quite quickly, and again freeze in place.

In a direct attack, the mantis behaves in a completely different way - spreads its wings, increasing in size, and begins to swing from side to side, thus trying to scare away the enemy. Some tropical species add sounds to this position - they click their feet and rustle their wings. Other praying mantises have contrasting spots on the wings, invisible in a calm state. In a state of excitement, when the wings spread, these clear spots, like the eyes that came from nowhere, appear in front of the enemy, scaring him away. Among other things, when attacking the enemy, the mantis puts forward grabbing legs, trying to prick the attacker with spikes. The predominant habitat of the mantis is the tropics and subtropics.

The most widespread is the common mantis (Mantis religiosa). It lives in the territory from South Africa to the Caucasus, Central Asia, the south of central Russia - along the lines of Belgorod, Orel, Bryansk, Kursk. However, along the northern border of its habitat, the insect is extremely rare. In particular, in the area of \u200b\u200bKiev and Kharkov you can find only a few mantis. But to the south, in the Crimea, the Caucasus and the entire Black Sea coast, it is a fairly common insect.

Common mantis is found in the Far East, the South of Siberia and Kazakhstan. By sea, with ships, he was brought even to the United States and Australia, found there not only in nature, but also in big cities. Our mantis can also be found in the city: on the sidewalk of a city street, on a park bench or alley, just at the bus stop. But a more familiar environment for him in the city is a situation close to natural - bushes, trees, st *** grass located in the green zone: parks, gardens and vegetable gardens.

The most common are three colors: green, brown and yellow, of which 80% are green mantis. Usually the color of the mantis adjusts to its habitat, but perhaps it also changes depending on the area of \u200b\u200bdistribution and the prevailing flowers of the plant world.

You can meet the common mantis both in the upper tier - on the branches of bushes and trees, and in the lower tier - in the grass near the ground. It has the ability to fly due to well-developed wings, however, only males can be observed in flight. Insects show their flying activity mainly at night, although occasionally they fly from tree to tree in the afternoon. But more often, the mantis does not really strive for movement, if there is enough food, it can spend on one tree or branch, all its life.

All praying mantises have a moving head of a triangular shape with developed eyes. They carefully monitor the environment and react to any movement nearby. If the praying mantis is hungry, then upon detecting a moving object of small size, it begins to gradually move in his direction, and as close as possible, grabs the victim with his legs of prey, and then eats. Small ones fall into his paws without any effort on his part. He simply sits motionless in ambush, using his protective coloration, and catches a creeping or flying trifle. But a large prey, similar to locusts, the mantis actively pursues, quickly crawls towards her or after catching up, jumps onto her back and grabs her head, starts her meal with her.

Recently, as a result of plowing the steppe lands and the destruction of dense forbs (the main habitats of these insects), in some places, in particular in Crimea, mantises become rare representatives of the fauna. These include bolivariums, empuses, spotted-winged mantises. Measures to preserve these insects include: restricting the use of pesticides in the cultivation of agricultural lands and the creation of protected areas where all human activities are prohibited, and thereby the natural environment is preserved. This is especially true for the northern areas of the habitat of the mantis, where today they are quite rare.

And he didn’t immediately find out who it was. And this is Idolomantis diabolica, the "bloody flower."

But they like them can turn out to hunt mice!

But first, a little more about them ...

All praying mantises have a moving head of a triangular shape with developed eyes. They carefully monitor the environment and react to any movement nearby. If the praying mantis is hungry, then upon detecting a moving object of small size, it begins to gradually move in his direction, and as close as possible, grabs the victim with his legs of prey, and then eats. Small insects fall into his paws without any effort on his part. He simply sits motionless in ambush, using his protective coloration, and catches a creeping or flying trifle. But a large prey, similar to locusts, the mantis actively pursues, quickly crawls towards her or after catching up, jumps onto her back and grabs her head, starts her meal with her.

Now look how the mantis hunts:

Hummingbird

And here is a mantis against another bird:

And how it all ended, you can look at the video

Praying mantises are large insects with a narrow elongated body. Born predators and camouflage masters attack prey from an ambush, completely merging with foliage and branches. By exterminating insects of phytophages, they benefit agriculture. The mantis is an ordinary typical representative of the order of the mantis, living in Europe. A characteristic feature of insects is the front legs, equipped with tools for grabbing and holding prey. On the hips and lower legs there are sharp spikes that catch a careless victim like a trap. Many people know about mantis cannibalism. This amazing feature has become an inspiration for writing scary stories and making films.

View description

Common Mantis (Mantisreligiosa) belongs to the order of the mantis, including 2800 species. The body of the insect is narrow and elongated. Males grow up to 43-52 mm, females are much larger - 50-75 mm. The anatomical feature of the mantis is the structure of the forelimbs. Grasping legs with spiky elongated hips and legs are designed to hold prey. The thigh and lower leg in the ligament function according to the principle of scissors. On the inside of the coxae of the forelimbs there is a dark spot with a white mark in the middle.

Interesting fact. Despite the fact that females are larger than males, males have longer tendrils and large eyes.

The head is triangular, mobile, the insect is able to look back. On the sides are large, convex faceted eyes. In European mantis they have a black pupil. On the forehead there are long filiform antennae and three simple eyes. The mouth apparatus of the gnawing type is directed downward. The common mantis has two pairs of well-developed wings. Light males and young females are able to fly over a considerable distance.

The front wings are narrow and leathery, they replace the elytra. The hind wings are wide, in a calm state fold on the back like a fan. The pronotum expands at the top, but never covers the head. The abdomen is elongated, soft, consists of 10 segments. On the last segment are located appendages - tserki. On the sides of the body are 10 pairs of spiracles.

The type of coloring of the common mantis is patronizing. Body color is green (in 80% of cases), yellow, light or dark brown. Camouflage coloring allows you to merge with the environment. When the insect is motionless, it completely mimics under the foliage or twig. Camouflage has two functions: it allows you to hunt from ambush and hide from enemies.

Information. When the enemy attacks, the mantis opens its wings to increase in size. He sways from side to side and menacingly raises his front legs and the edge of the abdomen. All actions are aimed at scaring off the aggressor. If the enemy is too large, the mantis flies away.

Name history

The scientific name for the species in Latin is Mantisreligiosa. The word mantis is translated “priest”, “prophet”, religiosa - “religious”. Carl Linnaeus chose the name not by chance, expecting prey, an ordinary mantis or a religious mantis folds its tibia into the groove of the hips. His posture resembles a person frozen in prayer.

Distribution area

The species Mantisreligiosa is heat-loving; you cannot meet it beyond the 50th parallel. The northern border of distribution in Europe runs along the south of Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and France. Common Praying Mantis is often found in the southern European regions, on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, in Sudan, in the Middle East. Predatory insects were brought to distant parts of the world - New Guinea, USA, partially settled in southern Canada. Climate warming contributes to the spread of habitat to the north. The adults of Mantisreligiosa are recorded in Belarus and Latvia, where they did not live before. In Russia, insects live in large numbers on the Black Sea coast, in the Crimea and the Caucasus.

Lifestyle

Praying Mantis lives and hunts as a typical "ambush." The predator freezes until the victim is within reach. He grabs the prey with his front legs and begins to eat from the head. Males are careful in choosing hunting objects; they attack flies, locusts and other small insects. Large females often attack victims almost equal in size to them. Aggressive individuals attack lizards, birds, frogs. They jump onto the back of a reptile and bite behind their heads. The fight lasts several minutes, in the process the hunter may become a victim. If successful, the production is eaten within 2-3 hours. The female remains full until 4-5 days.

You can meet Mantisreligiosa in the forest, steppe forbs, in the meadow. Insects do not avoid even large cities where they adapted to live in grass, parks and gardens. Favorite habitat of the common mantis is tall trees and shrubs. Insects prefer a sedentary lifestyle. They do not leave the usual territory, move between tiers. Four limbs are used for movement, less often wings.

With enough food, they spend their entire lives on one plant. Insects have excellent vision, they capture the slightest movement in the environment. Camouflage coloring allows you to imperceptibly approach production. Hunting takes place in the daytime. All soft tissues are eaten by the prey; chitin legs and wings remain. How long an ordinary praying mantis lives depends on the amount of food and gender. The age of females is longer, on average, representatives of the species live in natural conditions for 2-3 months. In captivity, the life span of insects increases several times and amounts to 12-13 months.

Like any insect, a mantis has many natural enemies. Birds, snakes, small mammals, bats prey on him. The arthropod runs slowly, takes off heavily. His awesome dance with spread wings fan only frightens inexperienced young birds. For other large hunters, the mantis is an easy prey.

Value in nature

The biological significance of the common mantis is associated with its lifestyle. He is a predator that exterminates harmful insects. Adults and larvae eat phytophages on trees and shrubs. More than once attempts have been made to organize the protection of agricultural land with the help of mantis. Large-scale plans to use predators as biological weapons against pests were unsuccessful, but many farmers are buying Mantisreligiosa wines. They are placed in gardens to safely kill aphids and thrips.

Sexual dimorphism of insects is pronounced in the sizes of males and females.

The sexual behavior of insects has been closely studied by scientists. Relations between partners are divided into two stages:

preliminary courtship;
pairing.

In temperate climates, the breeding season falls on August – September. At the end of the abdomen of males are the sensitive organs of smell - cerci. With their help, insects capture pheromones of females. The process of courtship is to carefully approach the object of passion. The male slowly and carefully moves to the female, trying to get around her from behind. When she turns her head, she freezes in place, taking advantage of the fact that the mantises do not respond to motionless figures. Courting takes a few hours, but allows you to stay alive until mating.

Having reached a potential partner, the male jumps onto her back. He holds his feet, placing them in special grooves on the sides of the mid-breast of the female. In such a safe position, he begins copulation. The process can last 4-5 hours. In 50% of cases, the male manages to escape. Having run away from the partner to a safe distance, he freezes for several minutes. It is necessary for relaxation.

Praying mantises are insects with incomplete transformation. An individual develops in 3 stages: an egg, a larva, an imago. 10-11 days after fertilization, the female common mantis lays eggs. Masonry is 100-300 pieces. Together with eggs, a sticky secret is released. After solidification of the liquid, an ooteca is formed - a protective capsule in which the masonry is not exposed to external influences. Ooteka is yellow or brown in color, it is attached to branches or stones. The eggs are left to hibernate.

Larvae

The offspring of mantises appears in the spring. Larvae are born with many spines on the body and two strands on the abdomen. Spikes help young growth out of the capsule. The larvae hang on the tail threads, so the first molt occurs. Before growing up they will have to go through another 4 molt. Flightless larvae look like adults. They feed on flies Drosophila, aphids, thrips.

Cannibalism in the mating process

During the reproduction period under the influence of sex hormones, the aggressiveness of females increases. The partner is in danger if the female is starving for 2-3 days. She can attack the male before copulation. This will provide the necessary nutrients, in addition, the size of the prey is larger than ordinary insects. The partner risks dying during mating, loss of head does not affect copulation. Eating a male after taking a spermatophore has the same reasons. A female praying mantis provides food for future offspring, increasing the chances of producing a large number of eggs.

Interesting fact. Males choose to mate large, well-fed females, this reduces the risk of being eaten during fertilization.

Domestic mantis is an exotic pet that can live at home for about a year. Insects are smart, contact, rather large sizes. A pet terrarium is required to accommodate a pet. They come in two types: plastic and glass. The second option is preferable. Air access is provided by a mesh cover. The length of the dwelling should be 3 times the size of the body of the mantis.

The thermophilic insect requires a temperature of 22-26 ° C. It can be maintained with a special heater or a lamp installed near the tank. Recommended humidity is 40-60%. Supported by daily spraying of the substrate. It is not necessary to put a drinker, enough moisture on the walls of the terrarium. The pet is taken up safely, the more often the contact occurs, the sooner he gets used to the person.

Sand or coconut shavings are poured onto the bottom as a substrate. Twigs and snags are placed inside, on which the insect will crawl. An important nuance in the maintenance of several ordinary mantis is their placement in different containers. This will prevent the cannibalism characteristic of the species. Grasshoppers, flies, locusts, crickets, cockroaches serve as food for the predator. Pet fed every 2-3 days. Depending on the size at a time give 1-3 feed insects. By launching the extraction inside the container, you can observe the hunt.

Security measures

Despite the widespread occurrence of insects in some regions of Russia, the common mantis is listed in the Red Book. It is classified as a rare species in the Chelyabinsk, Voronezh, Kurgan, Belgorod and Lipetsk regions. The number of insects decreased as a result of plowing of land, grass fallen, continuous hayfields, the use of pesticides in the processing of fields. In the habitats of the mantis, economic activity is limited. To protect the species, plowing, grazing, the use of pesticides, killing or capture of insects is prohibited. In Germany, the common mantis is listed on the Red List as a shrinking species. It can not be caught in nature and kept at home as a pet.