Praying Mantis Facts

The praying mantis is a fascinating creature to have in your garden, but many people don't know basic praying mantis facts that can make it even more interesting to watch these insects.

What is a Praying Mantis?

A praying mantis is a carnivorous insect. The mantis family includes about 2,000 different species, which range in size from about a centimeter to about 12 inches long. It's these bigger ones that most people think of when they think of praying mantises.

Some mantis species (about 20 in all) are native to the United States, but the European and Chinese versions of the insects have also been introduced in the states, mostly in an effort to control pests on farmlands.

The insects range in color, usually looking pea green or brown, but there are also mantises in various shades of green and even pink. They are named praying mantis because of the folding of their front legs, which looks like the posture of prayer. Some people mistakenly call them preying mantises, which is also somewhat accurate, given their skill as hunters.

Fun Praying Mantis Facts

Praying mantises have triangular-shaped heads and a compound eye on each side of their heads. They are the only insects that can turn their heads a full 180 degrees, and some species can turn almost 300 degrees without moving the rest of their bodies. They're also very sensitive to movement and can see something move up to 60 feet away.

The praying mantis is exclusively predatory – it only eats other animals, usually other insects such as flies. The larger members of the mantis species have been known to eat lizards, snakes, frogs, birds and even small rodents.

They tend to ambush their prey and are very fast when they attack. The forelegs are spiked, which helps the mantis hold on to its victims; they also have very powerful jaws, making it easy for them to kill their prey.

The praying mantis is considered diurnal, meaning that most of their activity takes place during the day, though sometimes you will see them flying around at night. They need the use of their keen eyesight to hunt, which is great news for us because we can often see them out and about in our gardens.

The Praying Mantis in the Garden

Most people think of praying mantises as pests, but that's only part of the story. Mantises eat all kinds of insects, which can be good and bad. They are great for pest control when you have a lot of unwanted insects in and around your garden, but they will eat the beneficial insects too, so you might not want to encourage praying mantises in your garden.

Some people suggest praying mantises as a method of organic pest control, but you should also think about the beneficial insects that may suffer when you introduce a predator into their habitat. If you're interested in hatching a praying mantis (or a bunch) in your yard or garden, you can buy mantis eggs online.

It is perfectly legal to keep and sell mantises and their eggs when they come from species native to the United States, but it is illegal to possess or release non-native species of the praying mantis in the states in order to keep the population of those species down.

Still, the insects are great fun to watch, even when they're not doing anything particularly interesting. For most people it's still pretty novel to see a praying mantis up close, and they are strangely beautiful even as they are really odd-looking.

A praying mantis is a really attractive insect to a child, even for those kids who don't normally like bugs. And if you happen to see one while it's hunting, it's an unforgettable sight. It's great fun to learn praying mantis facts and gain a new appreciation for this amazing species.

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