Behavior of a Pregnant Mantis
Praying mantises are unusual insects. According to Dan Feldman of the University of Colorado Entomology Department, they're the only animal to have just one ear, and they hear ultra-sonic frequencies in the range that bats do. They can turn their heads almost 180 degrees. Some mantises can change color. They don't get pregnant; instead, they lay eggs.
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Mating
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Although females have a reputation for eating males during reproduction, that only happens between 5 and 31 percent of the time, Feldman says, usually when the female is hungry. During mating, the male places a capsule containing his sperm into the female's reproductive tract. After mating, the female begins to swell and her abdomen will become very fat. She'll also stop flying and will eat a lot. Eggs are laid on twigs, plant stems, fence posts, rocks, buildings, or any other solid surface that will bear their weight.
Laying Eggs
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A mantis lays groups of 30 to 300 eggs in a frothy liquid that hardens into a shell. The eggs are fertilized by the stored sperm, as they pass through the females reproductive system. About two weeks after laying their eggs, the females die.
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Overwintering
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It takes three to six months for the young mantises to hatch. Eggs are protected from cold temperatures by being in individual cells that provide insulation during the winter months.
Hatching
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Egg cases start hatching in the spring, after two or three weeks of warm temperatures. They may hatch over a period of several weeks or all at once.
Young
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The nymphs are only about 1/8 inch long and can be hard to see. They will molt several times and reach their full size of 6 inches in about five or six months.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit praying mantis image by TMLP from Fotolia.com
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