Ever seen a green or brown insect on your wall or garden looking like it’s deep in prayer? It was probably a praying mantis.The word mantis is derived from the Greek word ‘mantikos’ which means prophet. Mantis, or praying mantis as they are commonly known, appear across the world and are generally a green or brown shade, have a small, triangular head with large bulbous eyes and have three pairs of legs.The two pairs of hind legs are used for walking while the pair of front legs are used for hunting. The front legs often appear to be joined in prayer. They’re known as raptorial legs in biology. These legs have sharp spikes all over them which help the mantis to catch prey. Praying mantis may seem calm and still because of their position, which has given them their well-known name (praying mantis), but, contrary to common belief, this is the position in which a praying mantis patiently waits for prey to get too close.Praying mantis camouflage themselves on trees or branches, using their natural colors of green or brown. They wait for prey to approach them while they sit completely still. When an unsuspecting bug or insect comes into their field of attack, their raptorial legs spring forward at lightning speed to catch the prey unaware. These legs hold the insect or bug tightly within their spikes while the praying mantis eats it. Praying mantis have wings, but these wings are not made for flight.Due to their appearance, they are often confused with other insects like grasshoppers, crickets, or stick insects. However, they are not the same, as grasshoppers and mantis do not belong to the same family. Praying mantis belong to an order of insects called ‘Mantodea’ and a larger class called ‘Mantidae’, or mantids. One of the most surprising things about the praying mantis is that it can rotate its neck a complete 180 degrees and it is the only insect that can do so. Because of their big bulbous eyes and pupils, they are gifted with very strong vision. Paired with a neck that can rotate up to 180 degrees, they make for one of the deadliest ambush predators.One of the most fascinating stories about the praying mantis is that, most often, a female mantis practices cannibalism while mating with a male mantis. This generally occurs during copulation. If the female mantis is hungry or undernourished from laying eggs, she can bite off the head of the male mantis who is mating with her. Scientists have conducted research into this aspect of cannibalism in praying mantis. They debate whether this phenomenon is natural or is caused by human observation which makes the female mantis kill off the male mantis because she senses danger. It is observed in research that a female mantis which was less actively observed had a lower chance of committing cannibalism before laying eggs.So, are praying mantis dangerous to humans and will you get bitten by them? Are praying mantis dangerous to plants? Read on to find out if praying mantis are dangerous to plants, humans, and pets.If you enjoy this article, learn more fun facts with Kidadl in our related articles on are pythons venomous and are rabbits herbivores?Do praying mantis attack?Praying mantis are an ambush predator, meaning they do not actively chase their prey for hunting and killing them. A praying mantis usually has a green or brown color which acts as a great camouflage against prey as well as other predators.A praying mantis is a type of insect that usually sits patiently, holding its raptorial legs in front of it, ready to strike. It can appear as if they are joining hands and praying. When any insect or bug comes into its field of attack, a praying mantis stretches out its front legs to capture the prey. A praying mantis only attacks for food. This can include various insects like butterflies, flies, moths, caterpillars, cockroaches, and other bugs. The raptorial legs of the mantis are so strong that they can sometimes catch prey larger than them, such as lizards, frogs, or even small birds. Praying mantis never eat dead animals or insects and only attack live ones. Hence, praying mantis are dangerous attackers and a formidable predator to the ones they prey on, but not to humans and pets. Praying mantis tend to avoid human contact as they see us as dangerous and, if touched, they flee. They very rarely bite and there is no sign that their bite is either venomous or poisonous. So, they are hardly anything to worry about. However, it may cause some discomfort to the skin if you are bitten by one.Are praying mantis venomous?The forelegs, or more specifically the raptorial legs, of a praying mantis are the most important part of their body, which helps them hunt and prey on insects for food. These legs have several small spikes called tubercles, which help the mantis to grasp its prey tightly as these spikes bury themselves in the body of the insects to keep it still.This is the only way a praying mantis can kill its prey and hunt. Even though the spikes help the mantis to kill its prey, it does not secrete any venomous or poisonous substances to induce the killing process of the prey. Apart from being venomous or poisonous, these spikes do not secrete any chemical substances at all to subdue the prey or make them unconscious, like many other insects. The only function of these spikes is to hold down the prey and requires the praying mantis’s strength. Hence, praying mantis are not venomous to the insects that they eat, and, even if they bite humans, they do not emit any poisonous substances.Do praying mantis bite?Despite the praying mantis being a dangerous and deadly predator to the insects and bugs that they prey on, it is not ever likely for a praying mantis to attack humans.Praying mantis have very sharp vision, which can allow them to detect movement from a distance of approximately 60 ft (18.2 m) on a clear day. Due to this, they can differentiate easily between their usual prey and a finger or something much larger than that, and avoid humans most of the time. Despite the chances of a praying mantis biting a human being extremely low, accidents can happen when someone unknowingly comes in contact with or touches a mantis. Sometimes, your dog or beloved pet might think of provoking a mantis for fun until it bites them to protect itself and scare them off. In such a case, there is no need to worry, as a mantis bite does not affect dogs at all, even if your dog decides to eat them as a snack. Getting too close can frighten a mantis. This could encourage a praying mantis to attack and bite a finger or body part in defense. Do not worry too much if your finger gets bitten as they usually only cause a small amount of damage to human skin.What To Do If A Praying Mantis Bites YouAs has already been mentioned thoroughly in this article, the bite of a praying mantis is neither poisonous nor venomous. The chances of them biting humans unnecessarily are also very slim. However, sometimes, we can provoke a still and silent mantis by accident. In some cases, this could cause it could bite you to protect itself, or as a response to danger.In such a situation, there is no need to get worked up. All you have to do is wash your hands with warm water and soap thoroughly. Washing them with soap and water helps soothe any irritation and cleans a small wound if there is one. If you see any wound or a little blood, just apply scab cream or a simple band-aid and the wound will heal in no time. As a preventive measure, use gloves to cover your hands and save your fingers from an insect or praying mantis bite.Cannibalism is a phenomenon that generally occurs between male and female mantis at the time of mating or copulation. It starts with the female mantis biting off the head of her mate during copulation. This aggressive behavior has been observed in almost 90% of species of praying mantis.Scientists have conducted a lot of research on this behavior within the female mantis, and it has been observed that the chances of a female cannibalizing her mate when under observation in a laboratory are higher than when they mate in their natural habitat. As mantis have very developed vision, they can sense bright lights and movements which generally occur in a laboratory setting and human presence inside it. This creates a sense of danger while a mantis is mating and might be the reason why females will eat males.Another reason why a female mantis might eat the male mantis is that she needs the strength and energy to lay eggs. If a female mantis does not have access to a proper and continuous source of food, or if she feels endangered or threatened by a male mantis, the chances of her eating a male mantis grow higher. Statistics state that almost 83% of males escape cannibalism, but as they mate with more than one female mantis, the chances grow higher.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for are praying mantis dangerous, then why not take a look at are rabbits nocturnal, or praying mantis facts?
Ever seen a green or brown insect on your wall or garden looking like it’s deep in prayer? It was probably a praying mantis.
