Unearthly creature. Why is the mantis so called? Mantis - a striking insect. Mantis is an insect. Why is it called that?

• 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 Mantis is perhaps one of the most amazing and strange insects on our planet, both with its habits and lifestyle, some features of which can slightly (or even strongly) shock us people. Yes, we are talking about the famous mating habits of mantis, when the female mantis after the mating process (and sometimes right during the process) eats its unlucky gentleman. But, of course, not only mantis is notable for this, and in our article today we will tell you about all aspects of the life of these unusual insects.

The origin of the name Mantis

The academic Swedish name Karl Linyi gave the academic name to the mantis back in 1758, drawing attention to the fact that the pose of the mantis, which is in ambush and guarding the prey, is very similar to the pose of a man who folded his hands in prayer to God. Because of such a striking similarity, the scientist gave the insect the Latin name "Mantis religiosa", which literally translates as "religious priest", the name "praying mantis" actually came into our language.

Although he is not called like that everywhere, our hero also has other, not so gracious names, for example, in Spain he is called Caballito del Diablo - the horse of the devil or simply - muerte - death. Such creepy names are obviously associated with no less creepy habits of mantis.

What does a mantis look like: structure and characteristics

The structure of the mantis is characterized by an elongated body, which distinguishes it from other arthropod insects.

Mantis is perhaps the only living creature that can easily turn its triangular-shaped head 360 degrees. Thanks to such a useful skill, he can see the enemy approaching from behind. And he has only one ear, but, despite this, just a great ear.

The eyes of a mantis are of complex facet structure, located on the sides of the head, but in addition to them, our hero has three more simple eyes above the base of the antennae.

The antennae of the mantis are comb, cirrus or filiform, depending on the species of the insect.

Mantis, almost all of their species, have well-developed wings, but only males are able to fly, females are more difficult to fly than males because of their larger weight and size. The wings of the mantis consist of two pairs: the front and rear, the front ones serve as original elytra protecting the hind wings. Also, the praying wings usually have bright colors, and sometimes they even meet peculiar patterns. But among the many varieties of mantis there is such an earthen mantis (Latin name Geomantis larvoides), which has no wings at all.

Praying mantises have well-developed forelimbs, which have a rather complicated structure - each of them consists of many details: swivels, thighs, lower legs and paws. There are large sharp spikes located in three rows below the thigh. There are also shipy (though smaller ones) on the mantis shank, which is decorated with a sharp, needle-shaped hook at the end. The exponential structure of the mantis paws, see the picture.

Mantis keep their prey just between the thigh and lower leg until their meal ends.

The circulation of the mantis is primitive, but there is a reason for this - an unusual breathing system. the mantis is supplied with a complex system of tracheas connected with dykhaltsami (stigma) on the abdomen in the middle and back of the body. In the trachea there are air sacs that enhance ventilation of the entire respiratory system.

Mantis Sizes

We have already mentioned above that mantis females are much larger than males, oddly enough, their main sexual difference is manifested in this.

The type of praying mantis, referred to in Latin Ischnomantis gigas and living in Africa, can reach 17 cm in length, perhaps this representative of the praying mantis kingdom is a real champion in size.

Ischnomantis gigas is the largest mantis in the world.

Heterochaeta orientalis is a little inferior to it, or Heterohet is eastern, it reaches 16 cm in length. Ordinary praying mantises are much smaller, on average no more than 0.5-1.5 cm in length.

Mantis Color

Like many other mantis insects, they have excellent camouflage abilities, this biological method of protection against predators, and because of this, their colors have, depending on the environment, green, yellow and brown tones. Green praying mantises live on green leaves, while brown ones are inseparable from the bark of trees.

What does a mantis eat?

It is no secret that our hero is a notorious predator who loves to feed on smaller insects, and is not afraid to attack prey larger than even himself. They eat flies, wasps, bumblebees, beetles, etc. Large representatives of the praying family (see above) can even attack small rodents, birds, and small amphibians: frogs,.

Praying mantises are usually ambushed, unexpectedly grabbing prey with their front paws and do not let go until they are completely eaten. Strong jaws allow these gluttons to eat even a relatively large victim.

Mantis Enemies

Although mantis are excellent hunter predators, they themselves can also become prey to snakes, some birds, or bats. But the main enemies of the mantis, perhaps, are their own kindred - other mantis. Clashes are often not for life, but for death between two rivals of praying mantises. The fights themselves, both between praying mantises, and with other insects are very spectacular, first of all, the praying mantis seeks to frighten the opponent, for this it takes a special frightening pose - throws forward its front legs and lifts its belly up. All this may be accompanied by corresponding menacing sounds. Such a demonstration of power is by no means played, praying mantises are desperately brave and with courage rush even to a much larger rival. Thanks to such courage and courage, the mantis often emerges victorious from such fights.

Where does the mantis live?

Almost everywhere, since their habitat is very wide: Central and Southern Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa, Australia. They are not present only in the northern regions, since mantises are not very familiar to the cold. But they are perfectly suited, for example, the hot and humid climate of tropical Africa and South America. Mantis feel great in tropical forests, and in the steppe regions, and in rocky deserts.

They rarely move from place to place, preferring their usual habitat to unknown distant places, the only reason that can move them on a trip is the lack of food supply.

Types of mantis: photos and names

Scientists counted about 2,000 different types of praying mantis, we, unfortunately, will not be able to bring them all in our article, but in our opinion we will describe the most interesting representatives.

The common mantis lives in most countries of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The common mantis is a very large representative of the praying mantis kingdom, reaching up to 7 cm (female) and 6 cm (male). As a rule, they are green or brown in color, the wings are well developed, at least to fly from branch to branch for a mantis is not an ordinary problem. The abdomen is ovoid. You can distinguish this type of mantis by a black speck, which is located on the coxae of the front pair of legs from the inside.

Obviously, the birthplace and main habitat of this species of mantis is China. The Chinese mantis is quite large, females reach up to 15 cm in length, but the sizes of males are much more modest. They have green and brown colors. A characteristic feature of Chinese mantis is their nocturnal lifestyle, while their other congeners sleep at night. Also, young individuals of Chinese praying mantises do not have wings that grow only after a few molts, then they acquire the ability to fly.

Mantis Creobroter meleagris lives in southwest Asia: India, Vietnam, Cambodia and several other countries. Usually reach 5 cm in length. Colors are white and cream. You can recognize them by strips of light brown color, which pass through the whole body and head. Also on the wings have one small and large spot of white or cream color.

He is the mantis Creobroter gemmatus especially loves the moist forests of southern India, Vietnam and other Asian countries. This species is small, females grow only up to 40 mm, males up to 38 mm. The body is more elongated than other relatives. And for added protection, on the hips of the Indian mantis there are special spikes of different heights. Painted in cream colors. Representatives of this species are excellent flyers, both males and females, due to their low weight, moreover, both pairs of wings are well developed. Interestingly, they have a spot on the front wings, similar to an eye with two pupils, which scares away predators. Flower praying mantises live, as follows from their names in the flowers of plants, where they guard their prey.

He is the mantis Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii lives in countries in southern and eastern Africa. In lifestyle, size, it is very similar to the Indian flower mantis. But its coloring is especially interesting - it is really artistic, on the upper pair of wings there is an interesting pattern resembling a spiral or even an eye. On the abdomen of this species there are additional spines that gave it such a name.

Orchid Mantis - in our opinion is the most beautiful representatives of the praying mantis of the world. It also received its name not for nothing, but precisely for its outward resemblance to beautiful orchids, on which he actually hides in an ambush, waiting for another victim. Females of orchid mantises are exactly two times larger than males: 80 mm versus 40. And orchid mantises, even among other mantises, are distinguished by their amazing courage, representatives of this species are not afraid to attack even insects that are twice their size.

Eastern heteroheta or spiky-eyed mantis is one of the largest mantis in the world (the female reaches 15 cm in length) and lives in most of Africa. These mantises live in the branches of bushes, the benefit of their appearance also resembles twigs.

Mantis breeding

And here we go to the most interesting part, namely the reproduction of praying mantises, as a rule, having a sad and tragic end for males. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, but let's start in order. The mantis males with the onset of the mating season (usually in autumn) using the charm organs begin the search for females ready for mating. Having found one, he performs a special “marriage dance” in front of her, transferring him to the rank of a sexual partner. Then the mating process begins, during which the female praying mantis has a bad habit of biting off her male’s head and then completely eating it. Some scientists believe that this behavior, which is more than terrible in our opinion, also has its biological reasons - having eaten her "groom", the female replenishes the reserves of nutritious protein substances necessary for future offspring in such a simple way.

Although it also happens that the male manages to get away from his “beloved” in time, than to avoid the sad fate of food.

After some time, the fertilized female lays eggs, while enveloping them with a special sticky secret, which is secreted by their special glands. This secret serves as a kind of protective capsule for the eggs of future praying mantises and is called the ooteca. The fertility of the female depends on her species, usually the female is able to lay 10 to 400 eggs at a time.

In the eggs, the mantis larvae stay from three weeks to six months, after which they crawl out of the eggs. Further, their development proceeds at a rather fast pace and after about 4-8 links the larva degenerates into an adult mantis.

Mantis Content at Home

Terrarium

It will be a very exotic and unusual act to have a domestic praying mantis, isn't it? Nevertheless, there are people who have such “pets” and if you also want to join them, the first thing you will have to take care of is the terrarium. A relatively small, glass or plastic terrarium with a mesh cover is suitable, its dimensions should be at least three times the size of the mantis itself. Inside, it would be nice to place twigs or small plants along which the mantis will climb trees.

Temperature

Mantis are heat-loving insects, so the optimum temperature for them will be from +23 to +30 C. Special heaters for terrariums can be used.

Humidity

Also, do not forget about moisture, which is also important for these insects. The optimal humidity for mantis is 40-60% and to maintain it, you can put a small container of water inside the terrarium.

How to feed mantis at home

Live food. Grasshoppers, cockroaches, flies are perfect. Some species of mantis will not mind eating ants. And with all this they need to be fed regularly, so keeping such “pets” can be a bit of a troublesome task. But you do not need to drink mantis, since they get the necessary body fluid from food.

• One of the styles of Chinese wushu martial arts is named after the mantis, according to legend, this style was invented by a Chinese peasant who watches the hunting of mantis.
• In the Soviet Union at one time they wanted to use mantis industrially as biological protection against pests of agricultural plantations. True, this undertaking had to be abandoned, since the mantis also ate beneficial insects, the same bees.
• From ancient times, praying mantises were frequent heroes of various myths and legends among African and Asian peoples, for example, in China they personified stubbornness and greed, and the ancient Greeks attributed to them the ability to predict the coming of spring.

Praying Mantis - an insect from another planet, video

And finally, we bring to your attention an interesting popular science film about praying mantises.

At first glance, a mantis is an absolutely harmless insect. Fragile, thin, imperceptible in the grass and on the branches of trees. But not as it seems. First of all, it is practically clear to everyone that they called him that because of the prayerfully folded forelegs. He can sit in his pose for hours, but there is no need to be deceived, the mantis insect is a formidable predator. He attacks victims much larger than himself. It is known about the battles of mantis with large spiders and even with snakes! One wonders if the people with the name were mistaken.

Compared with relatives, this is a rather large representative of its class. Individual individuals can reach 76 millimeters in length and even more. Females are usually larger than males. If the size is the same, then it is rather difficult to determine the sex of the individuals before adulthood.

They perfectly mimic. There are species very similar to flowers, others can easily get lost in the leaves, and all with one goal - to trap a suitable victim! For people, they are not at all dangerous. The only way that a praying mantis insect can harm a person is to scratch the finger with the jagged edges of the front legs, if you take it carelessly.

People who see them for the first time, at first simply do not believe that this is a creature of terrestrial origin. His appearance and his entire alien appearance are very unusual. And, of course, it is very difficult to realize that this is a formidable predator. It is not always possible to clearly distinguish the appearance of such a small creature as a praying mantis. The insect (his photo can bewitch anyone) seems to be dancing a strange ritual dance.

Some people even keep them at home because caring for them is not too complicated. The insect will need to change housing several times. At first, packaging from under yogurt is quite suitable, but later you will have to find a bigger “apartment” for him. Throughout life, the mantis insect sheds its skin, increasing in size.

We must not forget to feed him in time, and also in his home there should always be twigs on which he can hang, this is especially important during moulting. But he does not need to drink - it is only necessary to provide sufficient humidity.

If it is decided to reduce heterosexual individuals, then you need, firstly, to prepare a volumetric cell, and secondly, a sufficient amount of food. Otherwise, the larger female can eat the male after mating. It can occur as soon as individuals are together or within the next few days. After the end of the mating period, the male must be resettled again.

In due time, the female lays from 30 to 300 eggs, of which new individuals hatch in a few months. To prevent cannibalism among newborns, you need to put them in a large container with a lot of secret corners and live food. After the second or third molt all of them need to be seated.

The insect mantis, unlike most of its brethren, has a number of unique skills. In addition to magnificent mimic abilities, he can turn his head almost 180 degrees in different directions and even look over his shoulder. By the way, females, unlike males, cannot fly, although representatives of both sexes have wings. It's just that they are too heavy to fly.

Over 2 thousand species of these insects live in the world. And on the territory of our region there is only one living thing - the common mantis.

This predator is not at all as godly as it might seem. Sitting for hours in ambush in a humble pose, he, like an experienced commando, merges with the vegetation. Fortunately, the natural coloring allows him to do this without special preparation. And at the right moment, the mantis instantly grabs its prey and gnaws it alive.

As explained by the professor of biology at BelSU Alexander Prisny, the mantis is the closest relative of the cockroach. But unlike him, he is not satisfied with garbage. Lives not in apartments, but in meadows and in the steppes. Yes, and the size is larger: the local copy reaches 6 cm in length, and the Chinese - twice as much.

Distributed mantis on all continents. But there are very few representatives of some species, so they are listed in the Red Book.

Scare size

Green, it is ordinary, a mantis often imitates grass, so it is difficult to see. Large bulging eyes provide great visibility. A fly, a wasp or a butterfly is yawning, and he has already noticed it. The head is triangular, the neck is so flexible that it can turn back, like an owl.

These awkward predators are terribly voracious. The constant readiness to attack forces them to hold their front legs with tenacious spikes, like scissors. They eat everything from aphids to bugs. Females are not afraid to capture prey much more than themselves, for example, a frog.

Some species have wings, but more often they use them to intimidate enemies. And the mantis has many enemies.

Photo from pixabay.com

“Predatory beetles (ground beetles), spiders, lizards can eat young individuals. Adults are some birds, such as shrikes, ”Prisny says.

The chip of the mantis is not to run away, but to scare the enemy. When they attack him, he tries to visually become bigger. To do this, abruptly throws wings and hisses, swaying from side to side.

Deadly lover

The plot, which can be used for filming a horror movie, is commonplace for mantis. They mate just once. The female is always larger than her boyfriend. And this fatal lady with a high probability will not only break his heart, but also bite off his head. Right during the action.

“She eats it if she is hungry,” the professor explains. - This food is used for egg development and egg capsule formation. Simply put, to procreate. ”

Scientists believe that a mantis female is prone to cannibalism by an overwhelming amount of sex hormones. There is also a gentleman weakened, he can’t resist ... And for further development in ooteks (form of laying) eggs require a large amount of protein.

Having chosen a lady of his heart, the future father for several hours creeps up to her from behind. And after trying to quickly leave the place of the orgy, in order to avoid the role of snacks. The likelihood of losing your head is reduced if the chosen one ate tightly before the beginning of love games. But the paradox is that only a hungry female secretes a huge amount of attracting pheromones. It is for such fragrant ladies that praying mantises do real duels not for life, but for death. True, their age is short-lived - these insects live on average about a year.

Is it possible to keep mantis at home?

Recently, it has become fashionable to keep mantis in terrariums. For humans, they are practically safe - only a large female can bite through human skin.

“Better to have males. And in the second half of September and in October, when the breeding period is over, ”Prisny advises.

It is necessary to feed the pet only with lively and twitching food. Crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches, flies are perfect. He will definitely eat neighbors less than himself. Settling two males together is also not worth it.

Mantis are believed to be field orderlies. In the Soviet Union, at one time they wanted to use them industrially as biological protection against pests of agricultural plantations. True, I had to abandon this venture, because the mantis also ate beneficial insects, the same bees. In the United States and Asian countries, they are still kept in houses for fighting flies.

Some peoples believed that by frightening a mantis, a person shortens his life. It was believed that his bite saves from warts, and he himself is able to predict the future and show the way: the insect should extend its upper leg in the direction where it should go.

The ancient Greeks attributed to him the ability to predict the onset of spring. And in Rome, if anyone fell ill, they said to him: "It was the mantis looking at you.".

The mantis played a cult role: its image was found on a Proserpine coin from Metapont, next to the sacred spike of the Eleusinian Mysteries.

Engraved by the famous Dutch artist Escher Maurice   depicts a mantis who prays for the absolution of the deceased religious dignitary.

Mantis is named one of the styles of Chinese martial arts Wushu. It was invented by a Chinese peasant who watched the hunt of a predator.

Anna Morozova

Muscovites will remember the summer of 2016 not only with torrential rains, but also with the fact that mantises unexpectedly appeared on the streets of a big city. Green insects, which previously could not be found in the capital, can now be seen everywhere.

“This is due to warming, an increase in air temperature. Remember what the weather was with us recently. But the heat more than suits them. And in principle, they appear in other places where they did not exist before - more and more often mantis can be found in the north. The range is shifting, and this is the result of gradual climate change, ”said AiF.ru candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor, Entomologist Yuri Gninenko.

1. Praying mantis so named because of the structure of the legs.

Mantis got its name thanks to the Swedish naturalist Karl Linnaeus.   When this learned husband saw the insect, it seemed to him that it was communicating with the lord. The fact is that the bug folded its forelimbs like the way believers hold their hands together in prayer. And the insect shakes its head, as if something is muttering. Therefore, Linnaeus decided to call his "discovery" Mantis religiosa, that is, a "religious prophet." In the Russian tradition, the insect began to be called a praying mantis.

Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Přemysl Málek

2. A female mantis bites off a male’s head.

Mantis females are significantly larger than males. In 50% of cases, they eat males after mating. At the same time, sometimes a female bites her head off to her gentleman directly during intercourse, which, however, does not prevent him from successfully completing sexual intercourse. This behavior of young ladies is due to the fact that at an early stage of egg development they need a lot of protein. And the male is precisely its closest and most reliable source.

3. Mantis eggs are not afraid of either frost or pesticides.

Praying mantises lay their eggs in special protective capsules - ooteks. They are a complex protein material that will allow the progeny of the insect to survive not only at extremely low temperatures, but also under the influence of pesticides. In some cultures of the world, mantis eggs are used as natural remedies to increase male potency.

4. Praying mantises are predators.

Praying mantises eat exclusively live food - they need it to spin and resist. Mostly they prey on pests. So praying mantises help us save the harvest. However, a really hungry insect is not particularly legible and can also attack frogs, lizards, snakes, mice, etc.

5. Praying mantises are perfectly masked.

Mantis are masters of disguise. Depending on the environment, they can be either green or brown. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to discern mantis among foliage or on the bark of a tree. With each molt, these insects acquire such a color that will best match the surrounding nature. It is extremely difficult for the victim to see the mantis on time, since they may not move for hours, but they are the only among the insects that have the ability to turn their heads in different directions and even look over their shoulders.

6. Praying mantises are not dangerous to humans.

Mantis are often kept as pets, they are not dangerous to humans. However, it is not recommended to tease and annoy the insect on purpose - after all, it is a predator. If he decides that you are a danger to him, then he may well bite. The bite, of course, will be non-fatal, but very painful.

7. One of the fighting styles was named after the mantis.

In Chinese Wushu, the most popular style is the mantis style. The legendary martial arts teacher Van lan created this very simple and effective technique, based on his observations of how a mantis attacks a cicada. The latter, although it was larger than the attacker, nevertheless turned out to be completely helpless in front of his quick and precise movements.