Praying Mantis Cocoon on a Maple
The praying mantis is an insect belonging to the family Mantidae. These large insects can be up to 4 inches long and are usually light green in color. They are easily recognized by their spine-covered, raptorial forelegs that they use for grasping prey. Gardeners consider mantises to be beneficial insects. Does this Spark an idea?
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Biology
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Praying mantises are predatory insects that feed on other insects. These slow-moving creatures wait for their prey to approach and quickly ambush it with their strong, grasping front legs. They have highly mobile heads for easily detecting prey. Mantises also have a movable thoracic segment to which the forelegs are attached. This enables the insects to catch prey that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Reproduction
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Mating is dangerous for the male mantis, as the female will usually consume him either during or after fertilization. In late summer or early fall, female mantises create a foamy, light brown egg case that hardens on contact with air. This ootheca can hold up to 200 eggs. She deposits the egg case on tree branches or plant stems, where it remains over the winter.
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Habitat
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There are approximately 20 species of mantis in North America. Most mantises are tropical. Native species are generally found in the south. There are two northern species -- the European and Chinese mantises -- that were introduced into North America. The Chinese mantis is the largest species and has become widely distributed throughout the United States and into Canada. You'll find them in gardens, forests and other areas with plenty of foliage.
Considerations
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Don't disturb a mantis egg case in a tree or garden. As predators, mantises can help in the garden by eating pest insects. Mantis egg cases are sometimes available for purchase through garden centers to use as a natural pest control method. This may be misguided, since mantises will eat almost any insect, even other beneficial ones including their own offspring. Nonetheless, praying mantises are not considered pests and will not directly harm trees or other plants where their egg cases are found.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
