forschung #02

Most often people think that mantises are pests. That is only partly true. Actually, they can be beneficial too. Praying mantises are terrific pest exterminators. They keep down the population of bugs that are a threat to farming. A master of disguise, the praying mantis can be an able assistant to farmer, botanist and gardener.

Camouflage is very important for the praying mantis’s survival. Because they have so many enemies such as birds, they must blend in with their habitat to avoid being eaten. They have a triangular-shaped head with a large compound eye on each side. Praying mantises are the only insect that turns from side to side in a full 180 degree angle. Their eyes are sensitive to the slightest movement up to 60 feet away. They have straight, leathery fore wing and very powerful jaws used for devouring its prey. They have ultrasound ears on their met thoraxes. The met thorax is located on the thorax. In the bodies of some species of mantis, there is a hollow chamber. Recently it has been discovered that these hollow chambers provide the mantis with a means of detecting bats, one of their most feared predators. Apparently, the mantis is flight will drastically change its flight pattern (often hurling to the ground in a spiral) when the mantis hears certain frequencies of sound.

As for the diet, the praying mantis is a carnivorous insect that takes up a deceptively humble posture when it is searching for food. When at rest, the mantis’s front forelegs are held up together is a posture that looks like its praying. These front legs are equipped with rows of sharp spines used to grasp its prey. They wait with unmoving and are almost invisible on a leaf or a stem, ready to catch any insect that passes. When potential prey comes close enough, the mantis thrusts its pincher-like forelegs forward to catch it. The prey probably won’t escape because the forelegs are so strong and armed with overlapping spines. The mantis almost always starts eating the insect while it’s still alive, and almost always starts eating from the insect’s neck. This way, the mantis makes sure that the insect’s struggle stops quickly. Praying mantises can resemble flowers and can catch small, unknowing hummingbirds.