Details
Mantis religiosa
The praying mantis is an ambush predator named for the folded, prayer-like posture of its raptorial forelegs. It waits motionless among plants, then strikes rapidly at passing prey.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It uses open vegetation such as grasslands, field edges, gardens, parks, and woodland margins across much of the Palearctic and introduced parts of the Nearctic. Sunny stems and shrubs provide hunting perches.
Adults are about 5-8 cm long and weigh roughly 1-5 g. The body is slender with a triangular, mobile head, and the forelegs are spined grasping limbs. Colour varies from green to brown, blending with living or dry vegetation.
Diurnal and solitary, it perches on plants while scanning for movement. When prey comes close, the forelegs snap forward in a rapid grab. If threatened, it may raise the forelegs and spread the wings to look larger.
Carnivorous, it takes flies, grasshoppers, butterflies, beetles, and many other insects. Prey is held in the spined forelegs and often eaten head-first while still gripped.
After mating, the female lays eggs inside a foamy ootheca attached to stems or twigs. The case hardens to protect the eggs, and nymphs hatch looking like small wingless adults. They grow through repeated moults.
Often welcomed in gardens for eating insects, it is a generalist predator rather than a specialist pest controller. Its alert posture and swivelling head make it one of the most familiar mantises.
