Praying Mantis #2
by J McCombie
Title
Praying Mantis #2
Artist
J McCombie
Medium
Photograph
Description
Mantodea (or mantises, mantes) is an order of insects that contains over 2,400 valid species and about 430 genera in 15 families worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. Most of the species are in the family Mantidae.
The English common name for any species in the order is "praying mantis", because of the typical "prayer-like" attitude with folded fore-limbs, although the eggcorn "preying mantis" is sometimes used in reference to their predatory habits. In Europe and other regions, however, the name "praying mantis" refers to only a single species, Mantis religiosa. The closest relatives of mantises are the termites and cockroaches (order Blattodea). They are sometimes confused with phasmids (stick/leaf insects) and other elongated insects such as grasshoppers and crickets.
Most mantises are exclusively predatory and exceptions are predominantly so. Insects form their primary prey, but the diet of a mantid changes as it grows larger.
Uploaded
October 31st, 2012
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