Feature:
7 Strange Facts About Praying Mantises
“...praying mantis...refers to the insects’ imposing front legs that are bent at an angle as if they are folded in prayer. There are approximately 2,000 different species of praying mantises throughout the world, & their mystique is global.
French folklore suggests a praying mantis can point a lost child back to her home. In Arabic & Turkish cultures, a mantis was thought to point towards Mecca. In Africa, the mantis was fabled to restore life to the dead. And they are used to treat a number of illnesses in China, such as impotence & thyroid enlargement...
Most mantises in the U.S. are not native.The vast majority of mantises live in the tropics. Only 18 native species have ever been discovered on the entire North American continent...
They’re the only insect able to turn its head 180 degrees side-to-side.Praying mantises have a unique, flexible joint between their head & prothorax that allows them to swivel their heads...
They can see movement up to 60 feet away.
The praying mantis is the only insect known to have the ability to see in 3 dimensions, the same as humans...
Females sometimes eat their mates.
...females are known to devour their mates during intercourse...
Gory details aside, most instances of sexual cannibalization occur in a laboratory setting. In the wild, scientists believe the male only gets eaten 5-30% of the time...
They’re not selective eaters.
Mantises...have a huge appetite & have been known to eat up to 16 crickets per day. Mantises prey on many different types of insects, including...bees & ladybugs, as well as small birds, frogs, lizards, & occasionally other mantises.
Mantises overwinter as eggs in colder climates.
Praying mantis adults typically live 6-12 months. In colder climates, the females will lay around 100 to 400 eggs in the fall...
Mantises’ cannibalistic tendencies start young. When the eggs hatch in spring, their first meal is often their own sibling.
Mantises are close relatives of cockroaches.
...praying mantises, termites, & cockroaches are all closely related. Entomologists believe these insects
have all descended from a common ancestor...”
Zoe Blarowski
November 18, 2015
www.care2.com
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