European Mantid – Mantis religiosa

European Mantids

 

Latin Name: Mantis religiosa

Common Name: European Mantids, European Mantis, Praying mantids, Praying mantis.

Appearance: European mantid is 50-60 mm long, including its wings, and has a black spot on the coxa. That blackspot sometimes also has a central white spot. They have characteristics folded forelegs close to the thorax resemble being in prayer-like posture, due to which they are called praying mantids. They have a small triangular head with large globular brown eyes. They have spiny legs, which they use to capture their prey. They have green or brown body color and a small triangular head.

Host Plants or Food: Caterpillars, Bees, Moths, Grasshoppers, Flies, Crickets, etc.

Territory: Europe (Native), Northern America (Eastern and Southern US), Africa, Asia.

Mode of Damage: They prey on different plant pests, so they are considered Beneficial Garden Insect.

Habits and Life History:

European mantids are found in meadows, gardens, field crops, and areas having more herbs and shrubs. They get mixed with foliage and wait for the prey to come and attack suddenly to capture them.

A Female sometimes preys on his partner during courtship, but that’s very rare.

Female mantid lays eggs in an ootheca which is attached to stems and twigs formed by the female to protect the eggs from winter. They overwinter as eggs. There are dozens to hundreds of eggs in an ootheca.

The eggs hatch into nymphs and get dispersed by wind; if they remain crowded together, they start eating one another, and only the solitary will survive.

Nymphs resemble adults but differ in body size and are wingless.

Nymphs undergo 7-8 molts and finally develop into mature European mantids.

The adult mantid can’t survive winter and perish with the first frost. They have only one generation per year.