Praying Mantis

[Hurghada Lady]

Type: Bug
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 12 Months
Size: 0.5 to 6 in (1.2 to 15 cm) long
Did you know? Praying mantids’ excellent eyesight allows some to see movement up to 60 feet (18 meters) away.




The praying mantis is named for its prominent front legs, which are bent and held together at an angle that suggests the position of prayer. The larger group of these insects is more properly called the praying mantids. Mantis refers to the genus mantis, to which only some praying mantids belong.

By any name, these fascinating insects are formidable predators. They have triangular heads poised on a long "neck," or elongated thorax. Mantids can turn their heads 180 degrees to scan their surroundings with two large compound eyes and three other simple eyes located between them.

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.

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.

Females regularly lay hundreds of eggs in a small case, and nymphs hatch looking much like tiny versions of their parents.

[FABlux]

That's cute, never seen one in Egypt though, has anybody else?

[BBLUX]

Hurghada Lady wrote:

"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."

Of cours they wouldn't...they never had time to pass the word on to their mates did they

[Hurghada Lady]

Of cours they wouldn't...they never had time to pass the word on to their mates did they

I have seen two, one in Luxor, it was on the mosquito net when Claire and I lived in the villa in Bayadeya (how do you spell it?) The other was about a month ago on the wall of the villa I am in now.

[Hurghada Lady]

That's cute, never seen one in Egypt though, has anybody else?

It's either a Praying Mantis we saw or maybe a Locust, are they green???

[DJKeefy]

Plenty of them in Luxor over at the west bank, i took some photos of one that kept coming in my flat. (will try upload them later)

[BBLUX]

Well, we have never seen one here. Mind you we have a great many birds here including Bee eatersHoopo's and Nile Sunbirds so perhaps they keep their heads down for fear of being eaten.

[Crazycat]

haven't seen one in Egypt but saw a really big one in Cyprus jumping down the road

[DJKeefy]

I was worried if it would bite me, i have another shot which was a bit blurred where it looked at me and seemed to raise its front legs up at me like it was going to attack

[FABlux]

I think they are really cute, we took a photo of one on Barrys trouser leg once but can't remember whether it was Malta or Cyprus. We had 1 that was virtually resident in Greece

[Goddess]

Gosh - how pleased am I that Preying Mantis can be found in Egypt!

[PRchick]

Hurghada Lady wrote:

"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."

Of cours they wouldn't...they never had time to pass the word on to their mates did they

Actually what they do is rip the male's head off. Now THAT"S some PMS.

There is an Australia cousin - I forget the name - that is about 3 to 5 times larger, all brown and looks like it is covered in leaves. We had them in our bug zoo when I worked at the museum. Magnificent creatures.