? Mantodea
Chinese mantis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Mantodea
Families
Chaeteessidae Metallyticidae Mantoididae Amorphoscelidae Eremiaphilidae Hymenopodidae Mantidae Empusidae

The order Mantodea (or Praying mantis) consists of between 1,800 and 2,000 species, of which a majority are in Mantidae. The closest relatives of mantids are the orders Isoptera (termites) and Blattodea (cockroaches). Some entomologists classify mantids and cockroaches together in a single order. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (768x903, 1362 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Trinomial name Tenodera aridifolia sinensis Saussure, 1871 The Chinese Mantis (Tenodera aridifolia sinensis) is a species of mantis. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Binomial name Aptenodytes forsteri Gray, 1844 For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - Trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - Spiders, Scorpions, etc. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Symphypleona - globular springtails Subclass Archaeognatha (jumping bristletails) Subclass Dicondylia Monura - extinct Thysanura (common bristletails) Subclass Pterygota Diaphanopteroidea - extinct Palaeodictyoptera - extinct Megasecoptera - extinct Archodonata - extinct Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Blattodea (cockroaches) Mantodea (mantids) Isoptera (termites) Zoraptera Grylloblattodea Dermaptera (earwigs) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets... Species Chaeteessa caudata Chaeteessa filata Chaeteessa valida External links Tree of Life - Chaeteessidae Bob Dole supports this message Categories: Invertebrate stubs | Mantids ... Species Metallyticus fallax Metallyticus pallipes Metallyticus violaceus Metallyticus splendidus Metallyticus semiaeneus A family of species, related to mantids, living mostly in South-East Asia. ... Species Mantoida tenuis Mantoida schraderi Mantoida nitida Mantoida maya Mantoida luteola Mantoida brunneriana Mantoida fulgidipennis External links Tree of Life - Mantoididae Categories: Invertebrate stubs ... Species Amorphoscelites sharovi (Lower Cretaceous of Siberia) Amorphoscelidinae Amorphoscelis Amorphoscelidinae Paramorphoscelis Amorphoscelidinae Perlamantis Paraoxypilinae Glabromantis Paraoxypilinae Gyromantis Paraoxypilinae Metoxypilus Paraoxypilinae Myrmecomantis Paraoxypilinae Paraoxypilus Paraoxypilinae Phthersigena Paraoxypilinae Sphaeromantis External links Tree of Life - Amorphoscelididae Categories: Invertebrate stubs ... Species Eremiaphila Heteronutarsus External links Tree of Life - Eremiaphilidae Categories: Invertebrate stubs ... Species Hymenopodinae Anabomistria Hymenopodinae Callibia Hymenopodinae Chlidonoptera Hymenopodinae Chloroharpax Hymenopodinae Creoboter Hymenopodinae Galinthias Hymenopodinae Harpagomantis Hymenopodinae Helvia Hymenopodinae Hymenopus Hymenopodinae Panurgica Hymenopodinae Parymenopus Hymenopodinae Propanurgica Hymenopodinae Pseudocreobotra Hymenopodinae Pseudoharpax Hymenopodinae Theopropus Acromantinae Acanthops Acromantinae Acontista Acromantinae Acontistella Acromantinae Acromantis Acromantinae Anasigerpes Acromantinae Anaxarcha Acromantinae Anoplosigerpes Acromantinae Antemna Acromantinae Catasigerpes Acromantinae... For the self-defence technique, see Praying mantis kung fu. ... Subfamilies and Genus Empusinae Empusa Gongylus Hemiempusa Hypsicorypha Idolomorpha Blepharodinae Blepharodes Blepharopsis Idolum External links Tree of Life - Empusidae Categories: Invertebrate stubs ... A praying mantis, or praying mantid, is an insect of the family Mantidae (order Mantodea), named for their prayer-like stance. ... For the self-defence technique, see Praying mantis kung fu. ... Families Mastotermitidae Kalotermitidae Termopsidae Hodotermitidae Rhinotermitidae Serritermitidae Termitidae Reference: Earthlife as of 2002-07-26 A termite (also known as a white ant) is any member of the order Isoptera, a group of social insects that eat wood and other cellulose-rich vegetable matter. ... Families Blaberidae Blattellidae Blattidae Cryptocercidae Polyphagidae Nocticolidae Blattodea are insects of the order (formerly Blattaria) that includes cockroaches. ...

Mantids are notable for their large size and nimble reflexes. Their diet usually consists of living insects, including flies and aphids; larger species have been known to prey on small lizards, frogs, birds and even rodents. A mantid's prey is caught and held securely with its grasping forelegs. In nutrition, the diet is the sum of the food consumed by an organism. ... The Mediterranean fruit fly, or medfly, Ceratitis capitata Dance fly male Empis tesselata The flesh-fly, Sarcophaga carnaria As defined by entomologists, a fly (plural flies) is any species of insect of the order Diptera. ... Families There are 10 families: Adelgidae - adelgids, conifer aphids Anoeciidae Aphididae Drepanosiphidae Homomasagymibutae Greenideidae Hormaphididae Lachnidae Mindaridae Pemphigidae Phloeomyzidae Phylloxeridae Thelaxidae Aphids, also known as greenfly/blackfly or plantlice, are minute plant-feeding insects in the superfamily Aphidoidea in the homopterous division of the order Hemiptera. ... Families Many, see text. ... Distribution of frogs (in black) Suborders Archaeobatrachia Mesobatrachia Neobatrachia - List of Anuran families A frog is an amphibian in the order Anura. ... Orders Many - see section below. ... Families See Classification Section The order Rodentia is the most numerous of all the branches on the mammal family tree. ...

Mantids are masters of camouflage and make use of protective coloration to blend in with the foliage, both to avoid predators themselves, and to better snare their victims. Some species in Africa and Australia are able to turn black within a few days of a fire in the region to blend in with the fire ravaged landscape. In addition to this adaptation, they have adapted to not only blend with the foliage, but to mimic it, appearing as leaves, blades of grass or even stones. Anolis caroliensis showing blending camouflage and counter-shading. ... In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. ... ŒœáħŐųŁġĖĞɮʙ[[]] It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with predation. ... A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. ...

Reproduction

In captivity, female mantids have been observed to cannibalise males attempting copulation. The female may start feeding by biting off the male’s head (as with any prey), and if mating had begun, the male’s movements may become even more vigorous in its delivery of sperm. Early researchers thought that because copulatory movement is controlled by ganglion in the abdomen not the head, removal of the male’s head was a reproductive strategy by females to enhance fertilisation while obtaining sustenance. However, t his bizzare behaviour appears to be an artifact of intrusive laboratory or field observation. Mantids are highly visual creatures, and notice any disturbance occuring in the laboratory or field such as bright lights or moving scientists. Research by Liske and Davis (1987) and others found (e.g. using video recorders in vacant rooms) that mantids that had been fed ad libitum (so were not starving) actually displayed elaborate courtship behaviour when left undisturbed. The male engages the female in courtship dance, to change her interest from feeding to mating. Aldous Huxley made philosophical observations about the nature of death while two mantids mated in the sight of two characters in the novel Island. The species was Gongylus gongylodes. This is a dorsal root ganglion (DRG) from a chicken embryo (around stage of day 7) after incubation overnight in NGF growth medium stained with anti-neurofilament antibody. ... Aldous Leonard Huxley (July 26, 1894 – November 22, 1963) was a British writer who emigrated to the United States. ... Binomial name Gongylus gongylodes Linnaeus, 1758 The Wandering Violin Mantis, Gongylus gongylodes, also known as the Indian Rose Mantis, is an insect of the order Mantodea. ...

A recently laid Praying mantis egg pod

The mating season in temperate countries typically begins in autumn. To mate following courtship, the male usually leaps onto the female’s back, and clasps her thorax and wing bases with his forelegs. He then arches his abdomen to deposit and store sperm in a special chamber at the tip of the female’s abdomen. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Depending on the species, the female then lays between 10 to 400 eggs. These are deposited in a frothy mass that is produced by glands in the abdomen. This froth then hardens, creating a protective capsule with a further protective coat, and the egg mass is called an ootheca. Depending on the species these can be attached to a flat surface, wrapped around a plant or even deposited in the ground. In spite of the versatility and durability of the eggs, they are often preyed on, especially by several species of wasps. Variability in the species also determines whether or not the mother guards the egg pod or leaves it. Ootheca is a type of egg mass made by any member of a variety of species (usually insects or mollusks). ...

The praying mantis goes through three stages of metamorphosis: egg, nymph, and adult. Scientists also refer to this as an incomplete metamorphosis because the nymph and adult insect look essentially alike, except that the nymph is smaller and has no wings. A mantis nymph increases in size by replacing its outer body covering with a sturdy, flexible exoskeleton and molting when needed. This can happen up to five to ten times, depending on the species. After the final molt it should have full grown wings. Metamorphosis is a process in biology by which an individual physically develops after birth or hatching, and involves significant change in form as well as growth and differentiation. ... An exoskeleton, in contrast to an endoskeleton, is an external anatomical feature that supports and protects an animals body. ... In birds, moulting or molting is the routine shedding of old feathers. ...

Human perceptions

On a human hand

Many gardeners consider mantises to be desirable insects, as they prey upon many harmful insect species. Organic gardeners who avoid pesticides may encourage mantises as a form of biological pest control. Mantis egg cases are sold in some garden stores for this purpose. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x682, 72 KB) Praying Mantis on a human hand From: http://firepix. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x682, 72 KB) Praying Mantis on a human hand From: http://firepix. ... Poppies growing amongst organically grown broad beans Organic gardening is a form of gardening that uses substantial diversity in pest control to reduce the use of pesticides and tries to provide as much fertility with local sources of nutrients rather than purchased fertilizers. ... A cropduster spreading pesticide. ... Biological control of pests and diseases is a method of controlling pests and diseases in agriculture that relies on natural predation rather than introduced chemicals. ...

It should be noted that mantises prey on neutral and beneficial insects as well, basically eating anything they can successfully capture and devour. Mantises have been observed eating butterflies and even hummingbirds.[1] In agriculture and gardening, beneficial insects perform valuable services, like consuming pests, and pollinating plants. ... For other uses of the term butterfly, see butterfly (disambiguation). ... For the Australian jangle pop band, see The Hummingbirds. ...

Conservation status

Only one Spanish species, Apteromantis aptera, is listed as Lower Risk/Near Threatened.

History

One of the earliest illustrations of a mantid appears in the ancient Chinese text Erh Ya, where its attributes in poetry (representing courage and fearlessness) are given, as well as a brief description. A later text, Pen ts'ao from 1108, is impressively correct on the construction of the egg packages, the development cycle, the anatomy and even the function of the antennae. The Erya (爾雅) is a Chinese dictionary from before the first century. ... Events May - Battle of Ucles Consecration of Chichester cathedral Saint Magnus becomes the first earl of Orkney In Pistoia, Italy, Cathedral of San Zeno burned to the ground. ...

By the 18th century the biology and morphology of the mantids became relatively accurate. Roesel von Rosenhof accurately illustrated and described them in the Insekten-Belustigungen (Insect Entertainments). (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

External links

• Phylogeny of Mantodea based on molecular data: evolution of a charismatic predator (PDF)
• Natures's Best Masked Flower Image
• Pages from Bird Watcher's Digest and RLEPhoto showing mantises eating hummingbirds.
• Do female mantids really eat their mates?

Sources

• Tree of Life - Mantodea
• Klausnitzer, Bernhard (1987). Insects: Their Biology and Cultural History, Unknown. ISBN 0-87663-666-0.
• O'Toole, Christopher (2002). Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders, Firefly. ISBN 1-55297-612-2.
• Checklist of Mantodea originally compiled by the Los Angeles County Museum