Praying mantis
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- For other uses, see Praying mantis (disambiguation).
{{Taxobox | color = pink | name = Praying mantis | image = Praying_mantis_india_2.jpg | image_width = 200px | image_caption = Praying mantis in India | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Arthropoda | classis = Insecta | ordo = Mantodea | familia = Mantidae }} A praying mantis, or praying mantid, is an insect of the order Mantodea, named for their "prayer-like" stance. The word mantis derives from the Greek word for prophet; the plural is therefore mantes, with mantises also acceptable. There are approximately 2,300 species world-wide; most are tropical or subtropical, but several species live in temperate climates such as that of the northern United States, central Europe, and Siberia. Some texts refer to the European mantis (Mantis religiosa) as the most common praying mantis in European countries. Ischnomantis gigas is the largest mantis with 17 cm length in the female and is found in the Sahel zone of Africa. The smallest mantis is Bolbe pygmaea, which is only 1cm long.
A gravid female praying mantis will produce a large foam mass, called an ootheca. This ootheca can contain up to 300 eggs, all protected in the foam sack. These ootheca can take up to 5 months to hatch, some species hatching in small intervals. Hatching can take up to 5 weeks for all of the nymphs to fully emerge. Not only do gravid species produce oothecae. Infertile ootheca can be produced by females which have not been mated. These may sometimes hatch one or 2 nymphs, however, this is very unlikely. Some species, such as Brunneria borealis, produce ootheca through parthenogenesis. This is where a male is not needed to produce fertile ootheca; however, all the mantis' offspring of this sort will be female.
Species were introduced to the United States from Europe and China around 1900 as garden predators in an effort to control pest populations. It is Connecticut's official state insect.
Some mantis species
Image:Creobroter gemmatus threat.jpg
- Acanthops falcata - Tropical Dead Leaf
- Acanthops fuscifolia - Tropical Dead Leaf
- Acanthops tuberculata - Tropical Dead Leaf
- Acromantis sp. - Boxer Mantis
- Ameles decolor
- Ameles spallanziana
- Asiadodis squilla - Asian Shield Mantis
- Blepharopsis mendica - Thistle Mantis
- Brunneria sp. - Stick Mantis
- Brunneria borealis - Stick Mantis
- Camelomantis sondaica
- Ceratocrania macra
- Ceratomantis saussurii
- Chierdula parviceps - Philippine Mantis (new species)
- Choeradodis rhombicollis - Tropical Shield Mantis
- Choeradodis stalii - Tropical Shield Mantis
- Cilnia humeralis
- Creobroter meleagris - Flower Mantis
- Creobroter gemmatus - Indian Flower Mantis
- Creobroter pictipennis - Indian Flower Mantis
- Creobroter elongata - Flower Mantis
- Deroplatys angustata - Dead Leaf Mantis
- Deroplatys desiccata - Dead Leaf Mantis
- Deroplatys lobata - Dead Leaf Mantis
- Deroplatys truncata - Dead Leaf Mantis
- Empusa fasciata
- Empusa pennata
- Eremiaphila zetterstedti
- Euchomenella heteroptera - Twig Mantis
- Gongylus gongylodes - Indian Rose/Violin Mantis
- Heterochaeta strachani
- Hierodula membranacea - Giant Asian Mantis
- Hierodula grandis - Giant Indian Mantis
- Hierodula patellifera - Indo Pacific Mantis
- Hoplocorypha sp.
- Humbertiella ceylonica
- Hymenopus coronatus - Orchid Mantis
- Idolomantis diabolica - Devils Flower Mantis
- Idolomorpha madagascariensis
- Ischnomantis gigas
- Iris oratoria
- Macromantis hyalina
- Mantis religiosa - European Mantis
- Miomantis paykullii - Egyptian Mantis
- Miomantis abyssinica - Egyptian Mantis
- Odontomantis sp. - Ant Mantis
- Orthodera novaezealandiae - New Zealand Mantis
- Otomantis sp.
- Oxyopsis gracilis - Peruvian Mantis
- Oxyopsis peruviana - Peruvian Mantis
- Oxyothespis dumonti
- Parasphendale agrionina - Bud Winged Mantis
- Paratoxodera cornicollis - Giant Malaysian Stick Mantis
- Phyllocrania paradoxa - Ghost Mantis
- Plistospilota guineensis
- Polyspilota aeruginosa
- Popa spurca - Twig Mantis
- Pseudocreobotra ocellata - Spiny Flower Mantis
- Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii - Spiny Flower Mantis
- Rhombodera basalis - Giant Shield Mantis
- Rhombodera extensicollis - Giant Shield Mantis
- Rhombodera megaera - Giant Shield Mantis
- Sphodromantis balachowskyi - African Mantis
- Sphodromantis lineola - African Mantis
- Sphodromantis rubrostigma - African Mantis
- Sphodromantis centralis - African Mantis
- Stagmatoptera hyaloptera
- Stagmomantis californica - California Mantis
- Stagmomantis carolina - Carolina Mantis
- Stagmomantis limbata - Carolina Mantis
- Sibylla pretiosa
- Tamolanica tamolana
- Tarachodes afzelii
- Tarachodula pantherina
- Theopropus elegans
- Tisma freyi
- Taumantis sigiana - Lime Green Mantis
- Tenodera australasiae
- Tenodera sinensis - Chinese Mantis
- Toxodera denticulata - Giant Malaysian Stick Mantis
- Zoolea lobipes
For a more detailed treatment of this insect, see Mantodea.
See also
- More complete information on praying mantes can be found under the order to which they belong, Mantodea.
- Zorak - an animated mantis from the cartoon Space Ghost.
External links
 Praying mantis feeding on a fly (New Zealand) |
 A mature Praying Mantis from the Rocky Mountains of North America (USA) |
 An adult Praying Mantis walking on glass (Greenbelt, Maryland) |
es:Mantis religiosa fa:آخوندک fr:Mante religieuse ga:Maintis chrábhaidh he:גמלי שלמה nl:Bidsprinkhanen pt:Louva-a-Deus ja:カマキリ sv:Bönsyrsa