Praying Mantis Facts for Kids
- A praying mantis is in the mantid or mantidae family.
- They are a group of large slow-moving insects.
- There are 1,800 different species of mantids /mantidaes that live around the world.
- Praying mantises make up a small group in this species.
- They get their name from the way that their front legs are bent together in an angle that makes them look like they are praying.
- Praying Mantis live in a large range of habitats. They can be found in rainforests, deserts, grasslands and meadows. You many even find one in your backyard.
- Praying Mantis are masters of disguise. They are very well camouflaged and often mistaken for leaves or tree branches.
- Green is the most common color for a praying mantis however, they can also be brown.
- There is also a species of mantis called flower mantises, they blend in and look like flowers.
- Praying mantis have long necks with triangle shaped heads. They can turn their hears 180 degrees, that is a half-circle!
- Praying mantis have 5 senses like people. They have the senses of sight, taste, touch and smell.
- They have 5 eyes. Two large eyes on the sides of their heads and three smaller eyes in the middle.
- They have excellent vision and can see in 3D.
- Praying mantis do not hear as well as they can see. They have one ear that is in the middle of their abdomen.
- They have 6 legs and 2 antennae.
- Praying mantis have a lifespan of 1 year.
- They grow usually between 1 inch to 6 inches long.
- Most adults have wings. Only males can fly.
- Praying mantis are carnivores. They eat spiders, grasshoppers, frogs, lizards, small birds, crickets, flies, other small insects and even other praying mantis.
- Usually when they capture their prey they will eat the brains first.
- During mating or right after mating many females will bites the heads off the males. They will sometimes eat all them.
- Praying mantis will go through 3 stages of life egg, nymph then adult.
- After mating, females will lay up to 400 eggs.
- Small species of mantis will take 3-4 weeks to hatch, larger species will take 4-6 weeks.
- Predators include frogs, bats, monkeys, snakes, large birds and spiders.
Fun Praying Mantis Facts
- Praying mantis were believed to have super powers in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and in the Assyrian Empire.
- Due to their praying posture, praying mantis were considered a god in Southern African Khoi and San tradition. The word mantis in Afrikaans is Hottentotsgot meaning “god of the Khoi”
- Some martial arts develop in China have movements based on praying mantis.
- Close relatives to the praying mantis are termites and cockroaches.
- Praying mantis are popular insect pets.
