European mantis facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids European mantis Temporal range: Piacenzian – Recent

Adult female, Romania
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Mantis
Species:	religiosa
Subspecies
See text
Synonyms
Gryllus religiosus Linnaeus, 1758

The European mantis (Mantis religiosa) is a large hemimetabolic insect in the family of the Mantidae ('mantids'), which is the largest family of the order Mantodea (mantises).

Description
Visual system
Behavior
Distribution
Reproduction
Larval development
Diet
Lifespan
Conservation
Interesting facts about the European mantis
Subspecies
Gallery
See also

Description

Both males and females have elongated bodies with two pairs of wings. Females of are usually larger and heavier than males (7–9 cm versus 6–7 cm) but males have larger antennae and eyes. Males are often more active and agile, whereas females are physically more powerful.

The most striking feature is a very mobile, triangular head with large compound eyes. Their first pair of legs (the 'raptorial legs') is strong and allows them to catch and hold fast-moving or flying prey.

The European mantis come in different shades of yellow, brown, green, and sometimes black. This feature has been the cause of numerous hypotheses and studies for over 100 years. However, no generally accepted answer about reason, benefit, or mechanism of the coloration or the change of coloration has been found.

Di Cesnola observed in 1904 that green mantids were found on fresh green grass, whereas brown individuals seemed to prefer brown grass burned by the sun. When forced to change the location as to no longer match their coloration, almost all the ‘not matching’ animals were killed by predators such as birds. This indicates a camouflaging purpose of the coloration.

Brown European mantis

A change in temperature was shown to trigger a change in coloration: animals that hatched in a cold environment turned green after moulting when heat and sunlight were provided. Without the change in temperature and only a change in the color of the background, no change in coloration occurred.

Visual system

Mantids have large compound eyes that account for a great portion of the head. Their hunting behaviour relies almost exclusively on sight and the detection of movement.

The eyes of the European mantis are best adapted for daylight vision. One compound eye of an adult mantid consists of 8,000 to 10,000 optically isolated ommatidia.

The peering behaviour observed in M. religiosa is believed to be essential for the measurement of distances and depth perception; a side-to-side pendulum-like movement of the head or the whole body in a horizontal plane is used to scan the environment. Animals that were blinded on one eye did not strike for prey, showing that binocular vision is essential, since the disparity between the information of each eye is used to estimate distances, as well.

The eyes of newly hatched animals are less than half the size of the eyes of adult animals and have fewer ommatidia. Also, the facets of the frontal ommatidia, which are usually used for the detection of partners and prey, are not enlarged yet. While they already have all the necessary structures, very young animals have a restricted visual field and lower resolution and sensitivity to light. The vision improves after only three days.

Behavior

To scare or startle potential predators and to give the attacked animals a chance to escape, mantids spread their wings and bend their raptorial legs to reveal two matched black eyespots with a yellow or white center at the base of the coxae (legs). It makes the animal appear much larger and more of a threat to the attacker.

Distribution

M. religiosa can be found throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as North America, where it is considered introduced. Two confirmed stable populations are in Germany: one in Rhineland-Palatinate and one in Baden-Württemberg. In the last years, more reports have been made of the distribution of the animals in Northern Europe (Latvia, Estonia), as well.

Reproduction

In M. religiosa, courtship and mating are separated into two steps: Preliminary courtship begins with the first visual contact between the animals and ends with the first physical contact.

Only a few days after the final moult into adults, the animals begin to show interest in the opposite sex. Males have been observed to be most attracted to females during the middle of the day when the temperature is hottest.

When a female spots a male, she is very likely to attack and kill him. Therefore, males are very slow and cautious in their approach; after spotting a female, the male usually freezes and turns his head to look directly at her. Since the foveae in his eyes face directly forwards, he has the most accurate and detailed view of her and can watch every one of her moves. He then proceeds to approach her from behind. Males can be observed to stop as soon as the female turns her head or even moves.

Using this ‘stop-and-go’ tactic, the male stalks closer to the female. This can often take several hours. Depending on the environment, males sometimes show a light ‘rocking’-behavior which is believed to imitate the leaves of surrounding plants to blend in with the background. Males doing this had no higher probability of being detected and attacked.

After mating, the male lets go of the female to drop to the ground to get out of her reach for his own safety. After getting away about 50 cm, he stops and freezes for about four minutes before he leaves eventually.

Larval development

On average, 11 days are needed for the female to form and deposit an ootheca, which contains around 100 to 200 eggs.

Egg-laying usually takes place in September or October, but the eggs overwinter and the larva do not hatch until the following spring. Hatching is strongly influenced by environmental conditions such as temperature (at least 17 °C) and humidity. Females prefer to deposit their eggs on solid substrates at warm and sunny sites. Most eggs from one ootheca hatch at the same time. The hatchings always occur in the morning.

Larvae go though several stages of development. Each stadium is completed with a moult. After the eighth moult, the adult animal emerges. It now has wings and is fully developed. While more than eight moults have never been observed in M. religiosa, females usually need one more moult than males under similar circumstances.

Diet

M. religiosa hunting for prey, using a rose flower as a vantage point

M. religiosa is a carnivorous ambush predator that actively scans its environment and feeds on most insects that are not too large to be captured by rapid extension of its raptorial legs. Only living and moving prey is captured and consumed immediately. Grasshoppers seem to be rather popular, probably because of their type of movement (flying or leaping), but crickets and cockroaches are also frequently preyed upon.

Caught prey gets trapped and immobilized. The mantis then starts eating the still-living and preferably moving prey.

Lifespan

The lifespan of a European mantis depends on several factors, including its species and size.

In the wild, a praying mantis lives up to 10-12 months.
The lifespan of a mantis depends on the species; smaller ones may live 4–8 weeks, while larger species may live 4–6 months.
The male European mantis has a shorter life expectancy than females (7–8 months versus 11–12 months).
In captivity, European mantises have been recorded to live up to two years.
Adult mantids that are brought indoors before the frost may survive a few months into the winter but will die of old age before the spring

Conservation

In Germany, M. religiosa is listed as Gefährdet [endangered] on the German Red List on the basis of an assessment from 1998. It is not supposed to be caught or held as a pet. At a global level, it is assessed by the IUCN as least concern.

Copy of the original description of several species of mantis including Mantis religiosa, described by Carl Linnaeus as Gryllus (Mantis) religiosus in 1758.

Interesting facts about the European mantis

Their common name praying mantis is derived from the distinctive posture of the first pair of legs that resembles that of a praying person.
The European mantis has a midline metathoracic ear. It is found on the ventral side of the animal between the third pair of legs. The metathoracic ear has a high sensitivity across high and low frequencies and even ultrasound, and is called it a ‘true ear’.
It is the official state insect of Connecticut.
Mantids are very good at detecting moving structures, but are almost unable to see immobile objects.
They can eat each other. Because of this, they usually need to be kept isolated in captivity.
Mantids that have not reached maturity are called 'nymphs".

Subspecies

M. r. beybienkoi is found in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, West Siberia, and Primorsky Krai (Russian Far East)
M. r. caucasica is found in Stavropol.
M. r. eichleri is found in Ethiopia, Mauritania, Niokolo-Koba, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, the Congo, Niger, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Zambia, and Anatolia.
M. r. inornata is found in India, Iran, Nepal, and Pakistan,
- syn. M. r. akbari (Soomro et al., 2001)
- syn. M. inornata (Werner, 1930)
M. r. langoalata is found in Uzbekistan.
M. r. latinota if found in Kazakhstan.
M. r. macedonica is found in North Macedonia.
M. r. major is found in Mombasa (Kenya).
M. r. polonica is found in Poland and Russia.
M. r. religiosa is found in Africa, North America (Canada, United States), Europe, and Asia (Nepal), but not in South America or Australia.
- syn. M. r. maroccana (Thunberg, 1815)
- syn. M. r. radiata (Fischer-Waldheim, 1846)
- syn. M. r. sancta (Fabricius, 1787)
M. r. siedleckii is found in Southeast Asia: Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Java, and Sulawesi.
M. r. sinica is found in China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, and Vietnam.