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Chinese Mantid (Tenodera aridifolia)
a.k.a. Praying Mantid (or incorrectly, Praying Mantis)
The Chinese Mantid is one of
two Mantids found in the northeastern United
States, and one of about 1800 Mantid species
found worldwide. Praying Mantid, Tenodera
aridifolia, is tan to pale green in color,
and at 2.5 to 3.5 inches long is among the
largest mantids in the world.
In general, Praying Mantids share the following
characteristics:
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they
have large compound eyes and powerful
mouth parts that result in a triangular
shaped head. |
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they are unique among
insects: mantids can move their heads
from side to side which allows for 180
degrees of seeing. In addition they
can bend their “neck” (an
elongated part of the thorax) so that
they can visually scan a 300 degree
arc. |
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they have specialized
front legs that serve as piercing traps. |
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they are fierce predators
that devour live insect prey, and occasionally
will attack mice, frogs and even small
birds. |
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in addition to the practice
of waiting motionless in the “praying”
position for a meal, mantids will also
stalk their prey. In both cases the
moment of capture is done with great
speed. |
The Chinese Mantid lives only one season.
Young mantids will emerge from their egg sack,
an ootheca (oh-thee-ca), in the spring. These
nymphs look like the adults, except that they
do not have wings. During the summer, as the
nymphs go through several molts, their wing
buds get larger with each molt until they
are full adults with wings. In the fall, Chinese
Mantids mate and the female will deposit her
eggs in an over-wintering egg case, made out
of a paper mache-like substance, called an
ootheca.
The following description of a female mantid
producing an ootheca comes from E. W. Teale’s
The Strange Lives of Familiar Insects.
The
female always hangs head-downward.
She never glances at the object
she is creating. This whole marvelous
activity is a sequence of actions
dictated by instinct.
White, pastelike material, beaten
into a froth, appears from the
tip of her tail. At first, it
is carefully worked around the
twig or weed-stem to provide a
firm foundation. Then the tip
of the tail begins moving slowly,
methodically in a gradually expanding
circle. It is building up the
mass of froth much in the manner
of a threshing machine producing
a strawstack. The operation continues
with hardly a pause. When most
of the froth is in position and
has been formed into the desired
shape, the movements alter. The
tail pauses. It moves to the center
of the foam-mass, buries itself
there, and for a time changes
its position but little. A pumping
motion produces rhythmical pulsations
along the insect's abdomen. The
eggs are being place within the
ball of froth.
For a long time this delicate
work continues. Then the tip of
the tail begins its slow revolutions
again, building up the bottom
of the case. Finally, all is completed.
The case glistens in the sun.
The froth is sticky and resembles
the beaten white of an egg. Without
a backward glance, the female
walks away in search of insect
prey to appease her hunger. |
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Interesting Praying Mantid Facts
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The
European Mantid, Mantis religiosa,
is the Connecticut State Insect |
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Mantids have a single
ear located along its abdomen, allowing
them to hear the high pitched echolocation
sound emitted by bats, which is a primary
predator of mantids. |
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Chinese Mantids (Tenodera
aridifoli) were introduced into
the United States from China in 1896. |
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European Mantids (Mantis
religiosa) were introduced into
the United States from southern Europe
in 1899. |
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Mantids are considered
beneficial insects since they eat other
insects that are often harmful to ornamental
plants and food crops. |
Female Mantids - ever
the voracious hunters - are renowned for killing
and eating their mates during and after mating.
Praying Mantids are fascinating creatures.
To learn more about their ecology and raising
mantids at home, in the classroom or in your
garden, check out the following resources
which were used in preparing this page: |
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