That's a knockout blow from the cat!
But the praying mantis is back on its feet!
Unbelievable!
It has a face like an alien's.
It knows your every move.
And once it’s got hold of you,
it doesn’t mind
eating you alive.
This is a praying mantis,
one of nature’s deadliest insects.
Center yourself
as we explore the powers of this legendary hunter.
The praying mantis is a long,
twiggy green or brown colored insect
with a tiny triangular head no larger
than a pin.
It would be easy to dismiss the praying mantis as a
bit of foliage or a stick insect.
But the Mantis religiosa
is a deadly carnivore.
And nature has spared no detail
in making it the relentless hunter that it is.
It gets its name from its trademark hunting stance.
Standing very still on its four hind and middle legs,
the praying mantis folds its two front or raptorial legs
as if in prayer.
So it isn't.
Its raptorial legs are lined with spines
to trap the prey in less than one-tenth of a second.
Praying mantises can hunt birds, frogs and guppy fish.
Even garden snakes can't coil around and escape
their fatal grips.
This insect can calibrate the speed of its attack
to suit the size and movement of its prey.
It waits for the precise moment to shoot its arms out
and grab its victim.
The mantis will usually puncture its prey's head
and eat the brain first.
He's just hungry for knowledge.
Its five eyes detect movement and variations in light.
Unlike most other insects,
the praying mantises’ large compound eyes
face frontward.
These insects don’t need peripheral vision
because they can turn their heads a 180°.
No other insect can do that.
They can also rotate their bodies 2.5 times
in one second.
And they are especially likely to do this mid-air
when they are jumping distances
twice their body length.
This insect has some serious ninja skills.
But maybe this ninja insect is a lover, not a fighter, at heart?
Um, I wouldn’t bet my money on that.
Female praying mantises are bigger,
stronger and hungrier than males.
In about 28% of all breeding encounters,
the female bites the male's head off
off while mating with its abdomen.
Carrying eggs takes a lot of energy
and what better way
to replenish that energy than to go for the
juicy meal staring you right in the face?
Eating the male also provides necessary amino acids
and allows her to produce twice as many eggs.
With the male praying mantis’s
inhibitive brain receptors gone,
he will likely copulate longer
and deposit more sperm.
But sometimes, it's not that complicated.
A female praying mantis is just as likely
to bite her mate’s head off because he was too annoying.
Can anything stop this killing machine?
With luck, frogs, birds
and some lizards eat some praying mantises.
But these insects are not an easy catch.
Their flat bodies hardly cast shadows,
and their colors allow them to blend in perfectly
with grass and other foliage.
They rock back and forth
to match the movement of surrounding foliage.
And if you do succeed in spotting one,
a praying mantis will flare its wings up
and extend its legs fully to appear as big as possible.
When all else fails, this brave insect will raise its fists
and prepare for battle,
no matter how large and vicious its opponent is.
So should you re-think having a picnic in the warm grass?
Fortunately, praying mantises are not poisonous,
and their mouths are too small to bite you.
They also don’t carry any diseases.
Phew.
But
are other bloodthirsty critters lurking in that grass?
How well do you know the mighty tick?
We’ve got everything you need to know
in another episode of Crazy Creatures.
Grasping their prey at blinding speeds
and females biting their mates' heads off
is what praying mantises do.
And that’s why they’re