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5 curiosities about the religious mantis. Or everything you always wanted to know about this carnivorous insect...
The funniest side of pest control Mantis Leave a comment
Because it is, yes... The religious mantis is a carnivorous insect, as well as impressive. How do you read it...Do you want to know more? Well, here we go!
It gets its name from the way its front legs are bent in a "prayer" movement. Most species of the religious mantis are colored green or brown, so they can mix between leaves and foliage, allowing them to patiently catch their prey... See flies, grasshoppers and along among others.
As I said, the religious mantis feeds on insects, but also on mice, small turtles and even snakes! Just by tapping twice, as fast as the blinking of an eye, the religious mantis slowly devours the unfortunate prey with its ultra-sharp jaws.
So far terrible, isn't it? How can something so small be capable of such great things? But the truth is that religious mantis is seen as a beneficial insect since they ingest different types of insects that can be harmful to human beings. Well, with bread eat it (hehe, hehe...)
Among the most common species of the religious mantis are the Carolina native mantis (Stagmomantis Carolina) and the non-native Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis).
More curiosities about the religious mantis
To expand your knowledge about this unique type of insect, we have compiled some surprising facts that characterize it:
1. A gardener's best friend
Some gardeners have used the religious mantis to control other insects, as they are a real "machine" for eating insects. They practice their own form of pest control with their triangular heads that rotate 180 degrees, large eyes and toothed legs perfect for snacks, in cases like garden pests.
However, the religious mantis cannot distinguish between beneficial and non-beneficial insects, and there are other bugs such as the well-known lady's beetle that has been shown to be much more effective.
2. Young cannibals
One of the most popular facts of the religious mantis is the inclination for cannibalism in many species.
The females of some mantis species eat the male as they mate, and do so once the male has performed a complex mating dance. After the "effort", the female bites her head or legs during the sexual "act". How much burning!
Fortunately for male mantises, this circumstance only occurs in 30% of cases.
Hollywood, as always, could not be oblivious to this wonderful story of love, sex, and videotapes, and in 1993 released a film entitled Religious Mantis, in honor of the unique mating ritual we have just described to you.
3. 3D Visionaries
Not only Hollywood, but the religious mantis have also always received media coverage, the last one, by a study with scientists of the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Newcastle.
These insects have a pair of eyes, in some cases composed in turn of thousands of miniature eyes. They are the only insects that have a 3D vision, like humans.
This characteristic causes scientists to have adjusted super-small 3D glasses on religious mantises. The research team says the study may be able to help us program algorithms that allow 3D vision for robots.
4. Your prayer pet
Religious mantises are very popular pets. Each mantis species requires specific living conditions, especially temperature and humidity. Be sure to investigate your mantis species thoroughly. Most mantis care websites recommend feeding them an assortment of live insects. If properly cared for, mantises can live as pets for more than a year.
And beware, a religious mantis bites only if provoked, its bites are not poisonous and cause little harm to humans.
5. A Master of Disguise
One of the most fascinating aspects of many mantis species is that they camouflage themselves before their prey.
The religious mantis species that live more on the ground tend to be brown, while those that live in trees are usually green and similar to leaves.
In this BuzzFeed gallery, you can see how the religious mantis can be incredibly beautiful. For example, the mantis flowers imitate different species of flowers.
Beautiful and dangerous!
Thank you for reading 😊
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