Mantises, Mantes, Mantids or whatever term you prefer to use for their plural form, are among the most fascinating and at the same time scariest insects in the world.The 2,300 species of praying mantises comprise an order of insects called Mantodea.The word ‘mantis’ is Greek, and means prophet or fortune teller. Praying prophet? Very appropriate. Mantids so often look like they know something we don’t.
Photo by: Lawraa
Mantids can turn their heads 180 degrees to scan their surroundings with two large compound eyes and three other simple eyes located between them.Praying mantids’ excellent eyesight allows some to see movement up to 60 feet (18 meters) away.
Typically green or brown and well camouflaged on the plants among which they live, mantis lie in ambush or patiently stalk their quarry. They use their front legs to snare their prey with reflexes so quick that they are difficult to see with the naked eye. Their legs are further equipped with spikes for snaring prey and pinning it in place.
Photo by: macropoulos
Moths, crickets, grasshoppers, flies, and other insects are usually the unfortunate recipients of unwanted mantid attention. However, the insects will also eat others of their own kind. The most famous example of this is the notorious mating behavior of the adult female, who sometimes eats her mate just after—or even during—mating. Yet this behavior seems not to deter males from reproduction.(Check out this funny comic about their cannibalistic behavior)
Watch how the cruel female eats the male during their deadly intercourse:
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And finally here are some more interesting Mantis photos taken by wonderful flickr users:
Photo by: victorgil84
Photo by: Joel Junior
Photo by: Nitsirk Eel
Photo by: Dermal Denticles
Photo by: Thor Hakonsen
Photo by: macro junkie
Photo by: Dixie Native
Photo by: Thor Hakonsen
Photo by: Techuser
Photo by: MafrMcfa
Photo by: limonium64
Photo by: Coder
Photo by: ettan ettan
Photo by: sublimedart
Photo by: Rascaille Rabbit
really wonderful. I love these. I remember that I had some kinds of it when I was a child.
Very cool. Fantastic pictures.
Wow that is truly amazing.
very cool, they look like they’re dancing.
Simply stunning photos! Thank you for sharing. The mantis is so beautiful, yet so alien. I never knew there were so many varieties.
I still hate them.
FUCK YOU!!!…I Am Mantid!!!!
the images remind me of the Preying Mantis in Kung fu Panda
Amazing animals!
This variety of different types is outstanding. Thanks for this Post!
Absolutely stunning photos! I never knew there were so many species of mantis out there.
different collection, thanks for sharing.
I just came to this page from http://www.b2.is – the guys there are so stupid they think mantises are locusts LMAO
Once your garden is established, use the Mantis Tiller to cultivate and weed your garden with ease.
jamm mantis er bænabeða ekki engispretta…. en já bænabeður eru ótrúleg dýr..
þetta er ekki engispretta, þetta er skordýr sem heitir Beiða . veiðir skordýr með framfótunum.
ewww.
Makele ve yazilarinizi okudum. Aydinlattiginiz icin tesekkur ederim
These pics are awesome. We once had a preying mantis in our house and my boys named him/her Francis. It was with us for several weeks before we let it go outdoors. It managed to lay a sac of eggs in one of our plant trees. I removed the sac very gingerly and placed it outside so that they were in their natural habitat. Too cool. A memory we will keep with us forever.
Nice job with this share some great info will come real usefull.
Yep – I would agree with that.. Thanks for the line.