Mantis

Mantis, Mantodea

The Mantis, or sometimes called Praying (or Preying) Mantis, is a well-known and incredibly fascinating insect. A carnivorous insect, the mantis will sit still for extended periods of time with forearms held close and ready to grasp any unsuspecting prey. Not only does this stance allow for capturing of prey, but it also helps to camouflage the mantis from other predators; however, the main predator a male mantis needs to beware of is the female mantis. Early in the mating process, the larger female will bite or cut off the head of the male mantis, finish copulation, and then consume what is left of the male mantis. The reasoning behind sexual cannibalism has not been determined, but there are a number of hypotheses. Although no longer considered current, this article gives a good overview of the phenomenon.

This mantis was photographed in Townsville, Australia. The identification of insects is not as easy to do with a simple description. Some of the information I gathered is that there are apparently three families of mantis in Australia, with the spines on the forearms as a way to differentiate. I admit to being hesitant to relying on information that is not peer reviewed - understandably I hope.