Preying mantis

Praying mantids can easily be recognized by their large size, ranging fronl 10 to 120
millimetres in body length and their characteristic way of standing with forelegs held
together. The common name "Praying Mantis"has come from their habit of holding their
forelegs up in a 'praying attitude' while waiting for their prey. Because of this habit a
mantid is also called 'Soothsayer' and 'Holyman' or'Wiseman' They are remarkale
group of raptors or snatchers. They have the elongated body, raptorial,spiny forelegs,
two pairs of wings (some species with reduced wings in females), highly mobile
triangular head with distinct ocelli, large compound eyes and with filiform antennae.
Praying mantids are generally seen on tree trunks and other vegetations. They are
camouflaged merging with particular sites where they feed and live. They are
carnivorous, both in their adult and nymphal stages and eat a variety of insects including
other mantids, which they seize with their powerful forelegs.These superior ambush
predators with their peculiar habits of prey capture, camoflague and reproductive
behaviour, playa vital role in natural control of insect pests.

BEHAVIOUR AND BIOLOGY

Mantids are peculiar group of insects showing vivid types of behaviour. They are
usually seen among vegetations, on flowers, twigs, grass leaves and even sometimes
within home premises. They remain motionless for hours, and only the head rotates
about 180 degree to watch any disturbances caused by flying insects which are their
only food. Usually they proceed rather slowly towards the prey till they come within
comfortable distance. Sometimes sedentary insects like aphids are usually hunted by
mantids with short and modified foretibiae (as in subfamily Thespinae). Nymphal stages
of mantids usually feed on aphids, which are easily accessible. Species of Tenodera wait
for hours on nearby flowers or on twigs with stretched forelegs (Mukherjee & Hazra
1995). When prey is within their striking distance, the mantids capture the prey with
their raptorial forelegs.
Henry (1932) narrates his observations concerning the lives of mantids as follows:
"It is often very difficult to supply the young ones with insects smal1 and numerous
enough for their needs. Ripe plantains are exposed so that when it is full of maggots of
Drosophila, they are placed in mantid cages, fresh plantain being introduced every few
days. This way constant supply of the small flies is forthcoming and the young mantises
feed greedily upon them. By this, the nymphs indulge less in cannibalism in the presence
of abundant fly food. After the third or fourth ecdysis, many species become too large
for drosophilae and require larger flies and small grasshoppers"
In captivity species of Dys(fll~~S spend, much time crouched on dry twigs or grass
stems with face looking downwal:ds and the forelegs flexed and lay close against the
prosternum. In this position, they are compact and very hard to distinguish from dry
twigs. They are strongly phototactic.
On the approach of enemy, especially one of their own kinds, they would rear up the
fore part of the body and curve the abdomen upwards, at the same time extending the
raptorial legs laterally and displaying the "scare marks" on the prosternum and fore
coxae. The tegmina and wings are also raised and displayed to threaten or warn the
intruder. Even young nymph adopts this attitude.
Cheddikulallza strallzinea Henry behaves peculiarly. According to Henry (1932),
uOn several occasions when disturbed, it was seen to stiffen itself with its
ambulatory legs laid along the body, and allow itself to drop to the ground where it
would lie shamming death for a long time. In this position of course, the straw like
camouflage reached its maxi mum effecti veness."
Wood-Mason (1882) in his paper on new and little known Mantodea described the
stridulating mantid of Africa viz Idolollzorpha capellsis Burmeister and stated ~'soundsemitted by them were as loud as, but more crepitating in character than the hiss of a
large snake" He described the presence of stridulatory apparatus in Hierodula
(Sphodrolllalltis) bicarillata. The front edge of the tegmina is strongly toothed to rub
against the apical half of the upper or posterior faces of each of the posterior femora.
Copulation of mantids is accomplished in  steps' and they are visually
controlled. The eyes are large to spot the partner. After copulation, the female devour
the male.

Laying eggs

The gravid females by repeated tapping of cerci find out a suitable place to lay the
eggs in cluster within the cocoon like chamber, the ootheca. The secretion from the
accessory gland of first abdominal segment. a frothy mass, on contact with air hardens
to form ootheca. To fix ootheca on any suitable substratum, a yellowish base is produced
first. Then the secretion from the accessory glands oozes out through the pore near the
cerci and the gonapophyses make it spongy. The terminal abdominal segments move
rapidly and air is pumped into the material from the eighth pair of spiracles. Each egg is
pushed into the individual compartments, which are obliquely placed. The entire ootheca
is constructed within 2.5 to 3 hours. As the ootheca hardens the colour changes from
whitish yellow to dirty brown.
Various Hymenopteran hyperparasites lay their eggs in mantid ootheca. For example,
members of the genus Podagrioll spinola (Hymenoptera: Torymidae) is pnrasitic on the

ootheca of mantids.