Difference between revisions of "Praying mantis"
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| + | [[Image:Mantis_religiosa_4.jpg|thumb|left| Praying mantis eating fly [http://chaos-its-not-just-a-theory.com/tag/biodiversity/ © Wordpress]]] | ||
| + | [[Image:Mantis_religiosa_5.jpg|thumb|right| Mantid eating large moth [http://www.agefotostock.com/en/Stock-Images/Rights-Managed/K60-589612 © Oriol Cabrero]]] | ||
| + | [[Image:Mantis_religiosa.jpg|thumb|left| Praying mantis [http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Connecticut/insect_praying_mantis.html © Andy Williams / CritterZone]]] | ||
The mantises or Mantodea is an order of insects that comprises thousands of species. | The mantises or Mantodea is an order of insects that comprises thousands of species. | ||
| + | Adult Praying mantids may eat large moths such as Fruit-piercing mohts. The female Praying mantis lays a few hundred eggs in a cluster (ootheca) attached to an object like a branch or trunk. Large species of mantids may have a length of up to 12 cm. Their colour is usually adaptedto the environment they naturally live in. They have about 2 generations per year. Young mantids look like adults, but don't have wings. Adult females often have no wings either, or reduced wings. | ||
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| + | Praying mantids may also catch and eat fruit flies. Praying mantids are opportunist predators and do not farm any insects or other bugs. Particularly young mantids may not yet be too large to prey on fruit flies (tephredids). The younger and/or smaller the praying mantids are, the smaller the insects (and any other living creature they may catch) they prey on. Praying mantid nymphs initially feed on aphids and fruit flies (drosophila), and as they grow, they skip to larger preys, such as tephritids, and eventually moths and even much bigger preys. | ||
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Horsehair Worms (Nematomorpha, but mostly Chordodes) parasitize Praying mantids. | Horsehair Worms (Nematomorpha, but mostly Chordodes) parasitize Praying mantids. | ||
The parasites may enter the host through an intermediate host with aquatic larvae (eg Diptera and Ephemeroptera) that is eaten by a mantis.[http://faculty.uml.edu/rhochberg/hochberglab/Courses/Parasite/pdf%20papers/nematomorphs/nematomorphs%20and%20praying%20natids.pdf] | The parasites may enter the host through an intermediate host with aquatic larvae (eg Diptera and Ephemeroptera) that is eaten by a mantis.[http://faculty.uml.edu/rhochberg/hochberglab/Courses/Parasite/pdf%20papers/nematomorphs/nematomorphs%20and%20praying%20natids.pdf] | ||
Revision as of 18:59, 30 August 2014
The mantises or Mantodea is an order of insects that comprises thousands of species. Adult Praying mantids may eat large moths such as Fruit-piercing mohts. The female Praying mantis lays a few hundred eggs in a cluster (ootheca) attached to an object like a branch or trunk. Large species of mantids may have a length of up to 12 cm. Their colour is usually adaptedto the environment they naturally live in. They have about 2 generations per year. Young mantids look like adults, but don't have wings. Adult females often have no wings either, or reduced wings.
Praying mantids may also catch and eat fruit flies. Praying mantids are opportunist predators and do not farm any insects or other bugs. Particularly young mantids may not yet be too large to prey on fruit flies (tephredids). The younger and/or smaller the praying mantids are, the smaller the insects (and any other living creature they may catch) they prey on. Praying mantid nymphs initially feed on aphids and fruit flies (drosophila), and as they grow, they skip to larger preys, such as tephritids, and eventually moths and even much bigger preys.
Horsehair Worms (Nematomorpha, but mostly Chordodes) parasitize Praying mantids. The parasites may enter the host through an intermediate host with aquatic larvae (eg Diptera and Ephemeroptera) that is eaten by a mantis.[1]
