The Carolina mantis or mantid (Stagomantis carolina) is the state insect of South Carolina. It is also called a praying mantis. This is but one of many species of Mantodea (genus Stagomantis). The Carolina Mantis is the smallest of the three types native to North America. It can grow up to 7.6 cm or about 3 inches in length. In the South it is known as rearhorse or mulekiller.
The Carolina Mantis has a dusty brown or gray color used to camouflage with the pine forests and sand hills of the Southeastern part of the United States. A distinguishing trait is that its wings only extend three quarters of the way down the abdomen.
Close-up picture of the mantis head.
It is sometimes kept as a pet, as a large, easily cultured insect. It also, unlike most insects, will turn its head to watch a person or an insect that it is attempting to catch.
It is a voracious predator, capturing many insects in the course of its life, and occasionally it will capture and eat an anole (a type of lizard) or even a hummingbird.
Carolina mantis egg cases (called an ootheca singularly) can be purchased in garden supply centers as a means of biological control of pest insects.
The Carolinamantis or mantid (Stagmomantis carolina) is the state insect of SouthCarolina.
The CarolinaMantis is the smallest of the three types native to North America.
The CarolinaMantis has a dusty brown or gray color used to camouflage with the pine forests and sand hills of the Southeastern part of the United States.
The mantis almost always starts eating the insect while it is still alive, and almost always goes straight for the insect's neck: this way, the mantis makes sure that the struggling of the insect stops quickly.
Mantis babies usually hatch from their frothy egg-masses in late April or May, or whenever the weather begins to warm up, depending on the region.
Mantis babies are wingless, but otherwise resemble the adults (this is an important distinction in classifying insects).
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