Mantis - Wikipedia Mantis For other uses, see Praying mantis ( disambiguation ) and Mantis ( disambiguation ). Mantis Temporal range : 145 -- 0 Ma PreЄ Є Pg Cretaceous -- recent Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Clade : Euarthropoda Class : Insecta Superorder : Dictyoptera Order : Mantodea Burmeister, 1838 Families Acanthopidae Amorphoscelididae Chaeteessidae Empusidae Eremiaphilidae Hymenopodidae Iridopterygidae Liturgusidae Mantidae Mantoididae Metallyticidae Sibyllidae Tarachodidae Thespidae Toxoderidae Synonyms Manteodea Burmeister, 1829 Mantearia Mantoptera Mantises are an order ( Mantodea ) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 430 genera in 15 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ( `` mantids '' ). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks. Their elongated bodies may or may not have wings, but all Mantodea have forelegs that are greatly enlarged and adapted for catching and gripping prey ; their upright posture, while remaining stationary with forearms folded, has led to the common name praying mantis. The closest relatives of mantises are the termites and cockroaches ( Blattodea ), which are all within the superorder Dictyoptera. Mantises are sometimes confused with stick insects ( Phasmatodea ), other elongated insects such as grasshoppers ( Orthoptera ), or other unrelated insects with raptorial forelegs such as mantisflies ( Mantispidae ). Mantises are mostly ambush predators, but a few ground - dwelling species are found actively pursuing their prey. They normally live for about a year. In cooler climates, the adults lay eggs in autumn, then die. The eggs are protected by their hard capsules and hatch in the spring. Females sometimes practice sexual cannibalism, eating their mates after copulation. Mantises were considered to have supernatural powers by early civilizations, including Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, and Assyria. A cultural trope popular in cartoons imagines the female mantis as a femme fatale. Mantises are among the insects most commonly kept as pets. Contents 1 Taxonomy and evolution 2 Biology 2.1 Anatomy 2.2 Vision 2.3 Diet and predation 2.4 Antipredator adaptations 2.5 Reproduction and life history 2.6 Sexual cannibalism 3 Relationship with humans 3.1 In literature and art 3.2 Martial arts 3.3 In mythology and religion 3.4 As pets 3.5 For pest control 3.6 Mantis - like robot 4 References 5 External links Taxonomy and evolution See also : List of mantis genera and species Over 2,400 species of mantis in about 430 genera are recognized. They are predominantly found in tropical regions, but some live in temperate areas. The systematics of mantises have long been disputed. Mantises, along with stick insects ( Phasmatodea ), were once placed in the order Orthoptera with the cockroaches ( now Blattodea ) and rock crawlers ( now Grylloblattodea ). Kristensen ( 1991 ) combined the Mantodea with the cockroaches and termites into the order Dictyoptera, suborder Mantodea. The name mantodea is formed from the Ancient Greek words μάντις ( mantis ) meaning `` prophet '', and εἶδος ( eidos ) meaning `` form '' or `` type ''. It was coined in 1838 by the German entomologist Hermann Burmeister. The order is occasionally called the mantes, using a Latinized plural of Greek mantis. The name mantid properly refers only to members of the family Mantidae, which was, historically, the only family in the order. The other common name, praying mantis, applied to any species in the order, ( though in Europe mainly to Mantis religiosa ), comes from the typical `` prayer - like '' posture with folded fore limbs. The vernacular plural `` mantises '' ( used in this article ) was confined largely to the USA, with `` mantids '' predominantly used as the plural in the UK and elsewhere, until the family Mantidae was further split in 2002. One of the earliest classifications splitting an all - inclusive Mantidae into multiple families was that proposed by Beier in 1968, recognizing eight families, though it was not until Ehrmann 's reclassification into 15 families in 2002 that a multiple - family classification became universally adopted. Klass, in 1997, studied the external male genitalia and postulated that the families Chaeteessidae and Metallyticidae diverged from the other families at an early date. However, the Mantidae and Thespidae are still both considered polyphyletic, so the Mantodea will have to be revised. Mantidflies ( Mantispidae, related to lacewings, but unrelated to mantises ), have raptorial forelegs somewhat like those of mantises, but their wings and antennae differ visibly. The earliest mantis fossils are about 135 million years old, from Siberia. Fossils of the group are rare : by 2007, only about 25 fossil species were known. Fossil mantises, including one from Japan with spines on the front legs as in modern mantises, have been found in Cretaceous amber. Most fossils in amber are nymphs ; compression fossils ( in rock ) include adults. Fossil mantises from the Crato Formation in Brazil include the 10 mm ( 0.39 in ) long Santanmantis axelrodi, described in 2003 ; as in modern mantises, the front legs were adapted for catching prey. Well - preserved specimens yield details as small as 5 μm through X-ray computed tomography. Because of the superficially similar raptorial forelegs, mantidflies may be confused with mantises, though they are unrelated. Their similarity is an example of convergent evolution ; mantidflies do not have tegmina ( leathery forewings ) like mantises, their antennae are shorter and less thread - like, and the raptorial tibia is more muscular than that of a similar - sized mantis and bends back further in preparation for shooting out to grasp prey. Biology Anatomy Wing arrangement of a typical mantis, adult male Raptrix perspicua Mantises have large, triangular heads with a beak - like snout and mandibles. They have two bulbous compound eyes, three small simple eyes, and a pair of antennae. The articulation of the neck is also remarkably flexible ; some species of mantis can rotate their heads nearly 180 °. The mantis thorax consists of a prothorax, a mesothorax, and a metathorax. In all species apart from the genus Mantoida, the prothorax, which bears the head and forelegs, is much longer than the other two thoracic segments. The prothorax is also flexibly articulated, allowing for a wide range of movements of the head and fore limbs while the remainder of the body remains more or less immobile. The raptorial foreleg, showing the unusually long coxa, which, together with the trochanter, gives the impression of a femur. The femur itself is the proximal segment of the grasping part of the leg. Mantises have two spiked, grasping forelegs ( `` raptorial legs '' ) in which prey items are caught and held securely. In most insect legs, including the posterior four legs of a mantis, the coxa and trochanter combine as an inconspicuous base of the leg ; in the raptorial legs, however, the coxa and trochanter combine to form a segment about as long as the femur, which is a spiky part of the grasping apparatus ( see illustration ). Located at the base of the femur is a set of discoidal spines, usually four in number, but ranging from none to as many as five depending on the species. These spines are preceded by a number of tooth - like tubercles, which, along with a similar series of tubercles along the tibia and the apical claw near its tip, give the foreleg of the mantis its grasp on its prey. The foreleg ends in a delicate tarsus used as a walking appendage, made of four or five segments and ending in a two - toed claw with no arolium. Mantises can be loosely categorized as being macropterous ( long - winged ), brachypterous ( short - winged ), micropterous ( vestigial - winged ), or apterous ( wingless ). If not wingless, a mantis has two sets of wings : the outer wings, or tegmina, are usually narrow and leathery. They function as camouflage and as a shield for the hind wings, which are clearer and more delicate. The abdomen of all mantises consists of 10 tergites, with a corresponding set of nine sternites visible in males and seven visible in females. The abdomen tends to be slimmer in males than females, but ends in a pair of cerci in both sexes. Vision Head of Archimantis latistyla, showing the compound eyes and labrum Mantises have stereo vision. They locate their prey by sight ; their compound eyes contain up to 10,000 ommatidia. A small area at the front called the fovea has greater visual acuity than the rest of the eye, and can produce the high resolution necessary to examine potential prey. The peripheral ommatidia are concerned with perceiving motion ; when a moving object is noticed, the head is rapidly rotated to bring the object into the visual field of the fovea. Further motions of the prey are then tracked by movements of the mantis 's head so as to keep the image centered on the fovea. The eyes are widely spaced and laterally situated, affording a wide binocular field of vision and precise stereoscopic vision at close range. The dark spot on each eye that moves as it rotates its head is a pseudopupil. This occurs because the ommatidia that are viewed `` head - on '' absorb the incident light, while those to the side reflect it. As their hunting relies heavily on vision, mantises are primarily diurnal. Many species, however, fly at night, and then may be attracted to artificial lights. Mantises in the family Liturgusidae collected at night have been shown to be predominately males ; this is probably true for most mantises. Nocturnal flight is especially important to males in locating less - mobile females by detecting their pheromones. Flying at night exposes mantises to fewer bird predators than diurnal flight would. Many mantises also have an auditory thoracic organ that helps them avoid bats by detecting their echolocation calls and responding evasively. Diet and predation Mantis eating a common bushbrown butterfly, Mycalesis perseus Mantises are generalist predators of arthropods. The majority of mantises are ambush predators that only feed upon live prey within their reach. They either camouflage themselves and remain stationary, waiting for prey to approach, or stalk their prey with slow, stealthy movements. Larger mantises sometimes eat smaller individuals of their own species, as well as small vertebrates such as lizards, frogs, and small birds. Tenodera sinensis feeding on a cricket Most mantises stalk tempting prey if it strays close enough, and will go further when they are especially hungry. Once within reach, mantises strike rapidly to grasp the prey with their spiked raptorial forelegs. Some ground and bark species pursue their prey in a more active way. For example, members of a few genera such as the ground mantises, Entella, Ligaria, and Ligariella run over dry ground seeking prey, much as tiger beetles do. Ligariella, a ground mantid that runs down its prey The fore gut of some species extends the whole length of the insect and can be used to store prey for digestion later. This may be advantageous in an insect that feeds intermittently. Chinese mantises live longer, grow faster, and produce more young when they are able to eat pollen. Antipredator adaptations Further information : flower mantis Mantises are preyed on by vertebrates such as frogs, lizards, and birds, and by invertebrates such as spiders, large species of hornets, and ants. Some hunting wasps, such as some species of Tachytes also paralyse some species of mantis to feed their young. Generally, mantises protect themselves by camouflage, most species being cryptically colored to resemble foliage or other backgrounds, both to avoid predators and to better snare their prey. Those that live on uniformly colored surfaces such as bare earth or tree bark are dorsoventrally flattened so as to eliminate shadows that might reveal their presence. The species from different families called flower mantises are aggressive mimics : they resemble flowers convincingly enough to attract prey that come to collect pollen and nectar. Some species in Africa and Australia are able to turn black after a molt towards the end of the dry season ; at this time of year, bush fires occur and this coloration enables them to blend in with the fire - ravaged landscape ( fire melanism ). Aggressive mimicry : Malaysian orchid mantises are camouflaged pink or yellow, matching the coloration of local orchids. When directly threatened, many mantis species stand tall and spread their forelegs, with their wings fanning out wide. The fanning of the wings makes the mantis seem larger and more threatening, with some species enhancing this effect with bright colors and patterns on their hind wings and inner surfaces of their front legs. If harassment persists, a mantis may strike with its forelegs and attempt to pinch or bite. As part of the bluffing ( deimatic ) threat display, some species may also produce a hissing sound by expelling air from the abdominal spiracles. Mantises lack chemical protection, so their displays are largely bluff. When flying at night, at least some mantises are able to detect the echolocation sounds produced by bats ; when the frequency begins to increase rapidly, indicating an approaching bat, they stop flying horizontally and begin a descending spiral toward the safety of the ground, often preceded by an aerial loop or spin. If caught, they may slash captors with their raptorial legs. Mantises, like stick insects, show rocking behavior in which the insect makes rhythmic, repetitive side - to - side movements. Functions proposed for this behavior include the enhancement of crypsis by means of the resemblance to vegetation moving in the wind. However, the repetitive swaying movements may be most important in allowing the insects to discriminate objects from the background by their relative movement, a visual mechanism typical of animals with simpler sight systems. Rocking movements by these generally sedentary insects may replace flying or running as a source of relative motion of objects in the visual field. As ants may be predators of mantises, genera such as Loxomantis, Orthodera, and Statilia, like many other arthropods, avoid attacking them. Exploiting this behavior, a variety of arthropods, including some early - instar mantises, mimic ants to evade their predators. Leaf mimicry : Choeradodis has leaf - like fore wings and a widened green thorax. Adult female Iris oratoria performs a bluffing threat display, rearing back with the forelegs and wings spread and mouth opened. The jeweled flower mantis, Creobroter gemmatus : the brightly colored wings are opened suddenly in a deimatic display to startle predators. Some mantis nymphs mimic ants to avoid predators. Reproduction and life History The mating season in temperate climates typically takes place in autumn, while in tropical areas, mating can occur at any time of the year. To mate following courtship, the male usually leaps onto the female 's back, clasping her thorax and wing bases with his forelegs. He then arches his abdomen to deposit and store sperm in a special chamber near the tip of the female 's abdomen. The female lays between 10 and 400 eggs, depending on the species. Eggs are typically deposited in a froth mass - produced by glands in the abdomen. This froth hardens, creating a protective capsule, which together with the egg mass is called an ootheca. Depending on the species, the ootheca can be attached to a flat surface, wrapped around a plant, or even deposited in the ground. Despite the versatility and durability of the eggs, they are often preyed on, especially by several species of parasitoid wasps. In a few species, mostly ground and bark mantises in the family Tarachodidae, the mother guards the eggs. The cryptic Tarachodes maurus positions herself on bark with her abdomen covering her egg capsule, ambushing passing prey and moving very little until the eggs hatch. An unusual reproductive strategy is adopted by Brunner 's stick mantis from the southern United States ; no males have ever been found in this species, and the females breed parthenogenetically. The ability to reproduce by parthenogenesis has been recorded in at least two other species, Sphodromantis viridis and Miomantis sp., although these species usually reproduce sexually. In temperate climates, adults do not survive the winter and the eggs undergo a diapause, hatching in the spring. As in closely related insect groups in the superorder Dictyoptera, mantises go through three life stages : egg, nymph, and adult ( mantises are among the hemimetabolous insects ). For smaller species, the eggs may hatch in 3 -- 4 weeks as opposed to 4 -- 6 weeks for larger species. The nymphs may be colored differently from the adult, and the early stages are often mimics of ants. A mantis nymph grows bigger as it molts its exoskeleton. Molting can happen five to 10 times before the adult stage is reached, depending on the species. After the final molt, most species have wings, though some species remain wingless or brachypterous ( `` short - winged '' ), particularly in the female sex. The lifespan of a mantis depends on the species ; smaller ones may live 4 -- 8 weeks, while larger species may live 4 -- 6 months. Mantis religiosa mating ( brown male, green female ) Stagmomantis carolina laying ootheca Recently laid M. religiosa ootheca Hatching from the ootheca Sexual cannibalism Further information : Sexual cannibalism Sexual cannibalism in Mantis religiosa Sexual cannibalism is common among most predatory species of mantises in captivity. It has sometimes been observed in natural populations, where about a quarter of male - female encounters result in the male being eaten by the female. Around 90 % of the predatory species of mantises participate in sexual cannibalism. Adult males typically outnumber females at first, but their numbers may be fairly equivalent later in the adult stage, possibly because females selectively eat the smaller males. In Tenodera sinensis, 83 % of males escape cannibalism after an encounter with a female, but since multiple matings occur, the probability of a male 's being eaten increases cumulatively. The female may begin feeding by biting off the male 's head ( as they do with regular prey ), and if mating has 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 a ganglion in the abdomen, not the head, removal of the male 's head was a reproductive strategy by females to enhance fertilization while obtaining sustenance. Later, this behavior appeared to be an artifact of intrusive laboratory observation. Whether the behavior is natural in the field or also the result of distractions caused by the human observer remains controversial. Mantises are highly visual organisms and notice any disturbance in the laboratory or field, such as bright lights or moving scientists. Chinese mantises that had been fed ad libitum ( so that they were not hungry ) actually displayed elaborate courtship behavior when left undisturbed. The male engages the female in a courtship dance, to change her interest from feeding to mating. Under such circumstances, the female has been known to respond with a defensive deimatic display by flashing the colored eyespots on the inside of her front legs. The reason for sexual cannibalism has been debated ; experiments show that females on low quality diets have a higher chance to engage in sexual cannibalism compared to females on high quality diets. Some consider that submissive males gain a selective advantage by producing offspring. This theory is supported by a quantifiable increase in the duration of copulation among males which are cannibalized, in some cases doubling both the duration and the chance of fertilization. This is contrasted by a study where males were seen to approach hungry females with more caution, and were shown to remain mounted on hungry females for a longer time, indicating that males that actively avoid cannibalism may mate with multiple females. The same study also found that hungry females generally attracted fewer males than those that were well fed. The act of dismounting after copulation is dangerous for males, for at this time, females most frequently cannibalize their mates. An increase in mounting duration appears to indicate that males wait for an opportune time to dismount a hungry female, who would be likely to cannibalize her mate. Relationship with humans In literature and art One of the earliest mantis references is in the ancient Chinese dictionary Erya, which gives its attributes in poetry, where it represents courage and fearlessness, and a brief description. A later text, the Jingshi Zhenglei Daguan Bencao ( `` Great History of Medical Material Annotated and Arranged by Types, Based upon the Classics and Historical Works '' ) from 1108, gives accurate details of the construction of the egg packages, the development cycle, anatomy, and the function of the antennae. Although mantises are rarely mentioned in Ancient Greek sources, a female mantis in threat posture is accurately illustrated on a series of fifth - century BC silver coins, including didrachms, from Metapontum in Sicily. In the 10th century AD, Byzantine era Adages, Suidas describes an insect resembling a slow - moving green locust with long front legs. He translates Zenobius 2.94 with the words seriphos ( maybe a mantis ) and graus, an old woman, implying a thin, dried - up stick of a body. Western descriptions of the biology and morphology of the mantises became more accurate in the 18th century. Roesel von Rosenhof illustrated and described mantises and their cannibalistic behavior in the Insekten - Belustigungen ( Insect Entertainments ). In Island, Aldous Huxley reflected on death as a pair of Gongylus gongylodes mated. Aldous Huxley made philosophical observations about the nature of death while two mantises mated in the sight of two characters in his 1962 novel Island ( the species was Gongylus gongylodes ). The naturalist Gerald Durrell 's humorously autobiographical 1956 book My Family and Other Animals includes a four - page account of an almost evenly matched battle between a mantis and a gecko. Shortly before the fatal dénouement, Durrell narrates : he ( Geronimo the gecko ) crashed into the mantis and made her reel, and grabbed the underside of her thorax in his jaws. Cicely ( the mantis ) retaliated by snapping both her front legs shut on Geronimo 's hindlegs. They rustled and staggered across the ceiling and down the wall, each seeking to gain some advantage. M.C. Escher 's woodcut Dream depicts a human - sized mantis standing on a sleeping bishop. The 1957 film The Deadly Mantis features a mantis as a giant monster. A cultural trope imagines the female mantis as a femme fatale. The idea is propagated in cartoons by Cable, Guy and Rodd, LeLievre, T. McCracken, and Mark Parisi, among others. It ends Isabella Rossellini 's short film about the life of a praying mantis in her 2008 Green Porno season for the Sundance Channel. Martial arts Grandmasters of the Shaolin Temple, Shi DeRu and Shi DeYang, demonstrating the Southern Praying Mantis style of martial art Two martial arts separately developed in China have movements and fighting strategies based on those of the mantis. As one of these arts was developed in northern China, and the other in southern parts of the country, the arts are nowadays referred to ( both in English and Chinese ) as ' Northern Praying Mantis ' and ' Southern Praying Mantis '. Both are very popular in China, and have also been exported to the West in recent decades. In mythology and religion The mantis was revered by the southern African Khoi and San in whose cultures man and nature were intertwined ; for its praying posture, the mantis was even named Hottentotsgot ( `` god of the Khoi '' ) in the Afrikaans language that had developed among the first European settlers. However, at least for the San, the mantis was only one of the manifestations of a trickster - deity who could assume many other forms, such as a snake, hare or vulture. Several ancient civilizations did consider the insect to have supernatural powers ; for the Greeks, it had the ability to show lost travelers the way home ; in the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead the `` bird - fly '' is a minor god that leads the souls of the dead to the underworld ; in a list of 9th - century BC Nineveh grasshoppers ( buru ), the mantis is named necromancer ( buru - enmeli ) and soothsayer ( buru - enmeli - ashaga ). As pets Gray adult female Carolina mantis in human hand Mantises are among the insects most widely kept as pets. Because the lifespan of a mantis is only about a year, people who want to keep mantises often breed them. In 2013 at least 31 species were kept and bred in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. In 1996 at least 50 species were known to be kept in captivity by members of the Mantis Study Group. The Independent described the `` giant Asian praying mantis '' as `` part stick insect with a touch of Buddhist monk '', and stated that they needed a vivarium around 30 cm ( 12 in ) on each side. The Daily South argued that a pet insect was no weirder than a pet rat or ferret, and that while a pet mantis was unusual, it would not `` bark, shed, ( or ) need shots or a litter box ''. For pest control Gardeners who prefer to avoid pesticides may encourage mantises in the hope of controlling insect pests. However, mantises do not have key attributes of biological pest control agents ; they do not specialize in a single pest insect, and do not multiply rapidly in response to an increase in such a prey species, but are general predators. They eat whatever they can catch, including both harmful and beneficial insects. They therefore have `` negligible value '' in biological control. Two species, the Chinese mantis and the European mantis, were deliberately introduced to North America in the hope that they would serve as pest controls for agriculture ; they have spread widely in both the United States and Canada. Mantis - like robot Further information : Biomimicry A prototype robot inspired by the forelegs of the praying mantis has front legs that allow the robot to walk, climb steps, and grasp objects. The multi-jointed leg provides dexterity via a rotatable joint. Future models may include a more spiked foreleg to improve the grip and ability to support more weight. 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( 1964 ). `` The distribution and post-embryonic development of Tarachodes afzelli ( Stal ) ( Mantodea : Eremiaphilidae ) ''. Journal of Natural History. 7 ( 80 ) : 493 -- 511. doi : 10.1080 / 00222936408651488. ^ Jump up to : Michael, Maxwell. R. ( 1999 ). `` Mating Behavior ''. In Prete, Fredrick R. ; Wells, Harrington ; Wells, Patrick H. ; Hurd, Lawrence E. The Praying Mantids. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 70. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8018 - 6174 - 1. Jump up ^ Bragg, P.E. ( 1987 ) A case of parthenogenesis in a mantis. Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists ' Society, 46 ( 356 ) : 160. Jump up ^ Bragg, P.E. ( December 1989 ). `` Parthenogenetic mantid named ''. Mantis Study Group. Retrieved 8 January 2017. Jump up ^ Dickie, S. ( 1996 ) Parthenogenesis in mantids. Mantis Study Group Newsletter, 1 : 5. Jump up ^ Lawrence, S.E. ( 1992 ). `` Sexual cannibalism in the praying mantid, Mantis religiosa : a field study ''. Animal Behaviour. 43 ( 4 ) : 569 -- 583. doi : 10.1016 / S0003 - 3472 ( 05 ) 81017 - 6. ^ Jump up to : Hurd, L.E. ; Eisenberg, R.M. ; Fagan, W.F. ; Tilmon, K.J. ; Snyder, W.E. ; Vandersall, K.S. ; Datz, S.G. ; Welch, J.D. ( 1994 ). `` Cannibalism reverses male - biased sex ratio in adult mantids : female strategy against food limitation ? ''. Oikos. 69 ( 2 ) : 193 -- 198. doi : 10.2307 / 3546137. Jump up ^ Maxwell, Michael R. ( 1998 ). `` Lifetime mating opportunities and male mating behaviour in sexually cannibalistic praying mantids ''. Animal Behaviour. 55 ( 4 ) : 1011 -- 1028. doi : 10.1006 / anbe. 1997.0671. Jump up ^ Wilder, Shawn M. ; Rypstra, Ann L. ; Elgar, Mark A. ( 2009 ). `` The importance of ecological and phylogenetic conditions for the occurrence and frequency of sexual cannibalism ''. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics. 40 : 21 -- 39. doi : 10.1146 / annurev. ecolsys. 110308.120238. Jump up ^ `` Do Female Praying Mantises Always Eat the Males ? ''. Entomology Today. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2015. Jump up ^ Liske, E. ; Davis, W.J. ( 1984 ). `` Sexual behaviour of the Chinese praying mantis ''. Animal Behaviour. 32 ( 3 ) : 916 -- 918. doi : 10.1016 / S0003 - 3472 ( 84 ) 80170 - 0. ^ Jump up to : Lelito, Jonathan P. ; Brown, William D. ( 2006 ). `` Complicity or conflict over sexual cannibalism ? Male risk taking in the praying mantis Tenodera aridifolia sinensis ''. The American Naturalist. 168 ( 2 ) : 263 -- 269. doi : 10.1086 / 505757. PMID 16874635. Jump up ^ Liske, E. ; Davis, W.J. ( 1987 ). `` Courtship and mating behaviour of the Chinese praying mantis, Tenodera aridifolia sinenesis ''. Animal Behaviour. 35 : 1524 -- 1537. doi : 10.1016 / s0003 - 3472 ( 87 ) 80024 - 6. Jump up ^ Maxwell, Michael R. ; Gallego, Kevin M. ; Barry, Katherine L. ( 2010 ). `` Effects of female feeding regime in a sexually cannibalistic mantid : fecundity, cannibalism, and male response in Stagmomantis limbata ( Mantodea ) ''. Ecological Entomology. 35 ( 6 ) : 775 -- 87. doi : 10.1111 / j. 1365 - 2311.2010. 01239. x. Jump up ^ Bodson, Liliane ( 2014 ). Campbell, Gordon Lindsay, ed. The Oxford Handbook of Animals in Classical Thought and Life. Oxford University Press. pp. 557 -- 558. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 958942 - 5. Jump up ^ `` Entomomancy ''. Occultopedia. California Astrology Association. Retrieved 30 July 2015. Jump up ^ Erasmus, Desiderius ; Fantazzi, Charles ( 1992 ). Adages : Iivii1 to Iiiiii100. University of Toronto Press. pp. 334 -- 335. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8020 - 2831 - 0. ^ Jump up to : Prete, Frederick R. ; Wells, Harrington. : Wells, Patrick H. ( 1999 ). `` The Predatory Behavior of Mantids : Historical Attitudes and Contemporary Questions ''. In Prete, Fredrick R. ; Wells, Harrington ; Wells, Patrick H. & Hurd, Lawrence E. The Praying Mantids. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 3 -- 8. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8018 - 6174 - 1. 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Jump up ^ Rossellini, Isabella ( 2009 ). `` Green Porno : a series of short films by Isabella Rossellini '' ( Press Kit ). Sundance Channel. Retrieved 1 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` History of Praying Mantis Kung Fu ''. Praying Mantis Kung Fu Academy. Archived from the original on 2015 - 10 - 01. Retrieved 30 September 2015. ^ Jump up to : Hagood, Roger D. ( 2012 ). 18 Buddha Hands : Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Southern Mantis Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 9857240 - 1 - 6. ^ Jump up to : Funk, Jon. `` Praying Mantis Kung Fu ''. Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Retrieved 31 July 2015. Jump up ^ Barnes, Bryan. `` Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu ''. Shantung Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Retrieved 30 September 2015. Jump up ^ Orum, Pete. `` Chow Gar ''. Southern Mantis Kung Fu. Retrieved 30 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Insek - kaleidoskoop : Die ' skynheilige ' hottentotsgot ''. Mieliestronk.com. Retrieved 9 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` Siyabona Africa : Kruger National Park : San ''. Siyabona Africa. Retrieved 30 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` Mantid ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 30 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Pet bugs : Kentucky arthropods ''. University of Kentucky. Retrieved 31 July 2015. Jump up ^ Van Zomeren, Linda. `` European Mantis ''. Keeping Insects. Retrieved 31 July 2015. Jump up ^ Breeding Reports : 1st July 2013 -- 1st October 2013 ( PDF ). UK Mantis Forums Newsletter ( Newsletter ). UK Mantis Forums. October 2013. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015. Jump up ^ Bragg, P.E. ( editor ) ( 1996 ) Species in culture. Mantis Study Group Newsletter, 1 : 2 - 3. ^ Jump up to : Buckley, Jamie ( 17 October 2009 ). `` Pet of the week : The giant Asian praying mantis ''. The Independent. Retrieved 8 October 2015. ^ Jump up to : Bender, Steve ( 30 August 2015 ). `` Pet Your Praying Mantis ''. The Daily South. Retrieved 30 September 2015. ^ Jump up to : Doutt, R.L. `` The Praying Mantis ( Leaflet 21019 ) '' ( PDF ). University of California Division of Agricultural Sciences. Retrieved 31 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Praying and Chinese Mantises ''. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved 26 August 2015. Jump up ^ Cardona, Ramon ; Touretzky, David. `` Leg Design for a Praying Mantis Robot ''. Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society. Retrieved 12 April 2016. External links Listen to this article ( info / dl ) This audio file was created from a revision of the article `` Mantis '' dated 2016 - 04 - 18, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ( Audio help ) More spoken articles Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mantodea. Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Mantis. Mantis Study Group -- Information on mantises, phylogenetics and evolution. Insect orders Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Arthropoda ( unranked ) : Pancrustacea Subphylum : Hexapoda hide Extant Monocondylia Archaeognatha ( jumping bristletails ) i o n d y l i Apterygota * Thysanura ( Zygentoma ) ( silverfish, firebrats ) r y g o Palaeoptera Ephemeropteroidea Ephemeroptera ( mayflies ) Odonatoptera Odonata ( dragonflies, damselflies ) o p r Polyneoptera Plecoptera ( stoneflies ) Dermaptera ( earwigs ) Embioptera ( webspinners ) Phasmatodea ( stick and leaf insects ) Notoptera ( ice - crawlers, gladiators ) Orthoptera ( crickets, wetas, grasshoppers, locusts ) Zoraptera ( angel insects ) Dictyoptera Blattodea ( cockroaches, termites ) Mantodea ( mantises ) u m o l Paraneoptera * Psocodea ( barklice, lice ) Thysanoptera ( thrips ) Hemiptera ( cicadas, aphids, true bugs ) n d o p r y g o basal Hymenoptera ( sawflies, wasps, ants, bees ) Neuropteroidea Coleopterida Strepsiptera ( twisted - winged parasites ) Coleoptera ( beetles ) Neuropterida Raphidioptera ( snakeflies ) Megaloptera ( alderflies, dobsonflies, fishflies ) Neuroptera ( net - winged insects : lacewings, mantidflies, antlions ) Panorpida ( Mecopterida ) Antliophora Mecoptera ( scorpionflies ) + Siphonaptera ( fleas ) Diptera ( gnats, mosquitoes, flies ) Amphiesmenoptera Trichoptera ( caddisflies ) Lepidoptera ( moths, butterflies ) Four most speciose orders are marked in bold Italic are paraphyletic groups Based on Sasaki et al. ( 2013 ) Extinct Aethiocarenodea Alienoptera Archodonata Blattoptera Caloneurodea Campylopteridae Carbotriplurida Coxoplectoptera Diaphanopterodea Eoblattodea Eudiaphanoptera Geroptera Glosselytrodea Heraridea Hypoperlida Lapeyriidae Meganisoptera Megasecoptera Miomoptera Monura Palaeodictyoptera Paoliida Permoplecoptera Protanisoptera Protelytroptera Protephemerida Protodiptera Protorthoptera Protozygoptera Syntonoptera Titanoptera Triadophlebioptera Extinct incertae sedis families and genera are marked in italic Wikispecies Extant Mantodea families Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Arthropoda Class : Insecta Subclass : Pterygota Infraclass : Neoptera Superorder : Dictyoptera Acanthopidae Amorphoscelididae Chaeteessidae Empusidae Eremiaphilidae Hymenopodidae ( flower mantises ) Iridopterygidae Liturgusidae Mantidae Mantoididae Metallyticidae Sibyllidae Tarachodidae Thespidae Toxoderidae List of mantis genera and species Insects in culture Aspects of insects in culture In the arts Insects in art Beetlewing John Hampson Insects in film Insects in literature Insects in music List of insect - inspired songs Insects on stamps In fishing Fishing bait Fly fishing Artificial fly Fly tying Maggot Mayfly Mealworm In medicine Apitherapy Apitoxin Melittin Maggot Spanish fly Cantharidin In mythology Bee Butterfly Cicada Dragonfly Praying mantis Scarab Entomophagy ( as food ) Adults Ant Cicada Cricket Grasshopper Termite Larvae Bamboo worm Mealworm Mopani worm Palm weevil Rhinoceros beetle Silkworm Waxworm Witchetty grub Other aspects Biomimicry Cricket fighting Entomological warfare Flea circus Insects in religion Jingzhe Economic entomology Beneficial insects Pest control Encarsia formosa Ladybird Parasitoid wasp Pollination Bees crops pollinated Bumblebee Honey bee western Beetles Flies Lepidoptera Products Beekeeping Bee pollen Beeswax Honey Propolis Royal jelly Other insects Carmine / Cochineal Polish Chitin Kermes Sericulture Silk Lac / Shellac Model organism Drosophila melanogaster Harmful insects Crop pests Aphid Boll weevil Colorado potato beetle Cottony cushion scale Japanese beetle Locust Phylloxera Western corn rootworm Livestock pests Botfly Horn fly Horse - fly Screwworm fly Tsetse fly Warble fly Biting / stinging Insect bites and stings Insect sting allergy Bed bug Bee sting Flea Horse - fly Louse Mosquito Wasp Wood - eating Deathwatch beetle Furniture beetle House longhorn beetle Termite Woodworm Other pests Home - stored product entomology Clothes moth Cockroach Housefly Pioneers Jan Swammerdam Alfred Russel Wallace Jean - Henri Fabre Hans Zinsser ( Rats, Lice and History ) Lafcadio Hearn ( Insect Literature ) Related Living things in culture Arthropods Birds Fish Fungi Mammals Microbes Molluscs Reptiles Plants Zoomusicology Taxon identifiers Wikidata : Q131250 ADW : Mantodea BugGuide : 342391 EoL : 416 Fauna Europaea : 11918 Fossilworks : 180000 GBIF : 788 IRMNG : 10772 ITIS : 914220 NBN : NBNSYS0000172145 NCBI : 7504 NZOR : 68698d10 - 6496 - 4d10 - 92e6 - 2c39c5fdd704 NDL : 00854254 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mantis&oldid=841543667 '' Categories : Agriculturally beneficial insects Insects acting as insect pest control agents Mantodea Extant Cretaceous first appearances Insects in culture Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list Wikipedia semi-protected pages Featured articles Use American English from August 2015 All Wikipedia articles written in American English Articles with ' species ' microformats Articles containing Greek - language text Articles containing German - language text Articles containing Afrikaans - language text Spoken articles Articles with hAudio microformats Wikipedia articles with NDL identifiers Use dmy dates from March 2017 Talk View source Contents About Wikipedia Wikispecies Afrikaans Asturianu Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Български Boarisch Català Cebuano Čeština Dansk Deutsch Diné bizaad Ελληνικά Español Euskara فارسی Français Gaeilge Galego 客家 語 / Hak - kâ - ngî 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ქართული Қазақша Kiswahili Kurdî Кыргызча Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar Македонски മലയാളം Bahasa Melayu Mìng - dĕ̤ng - ngṳ̄ Nederlands 日本 語 Nordfriisk Norsk Norsk nynorsk Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча پنجابی Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русский Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Basa Sunda Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் తెలుగు ไทย Türkçe Українська Vahcuengh Tiếng Việt 文言 Winaray 吴语 ייִדיש 粵語 Zazaki 中文 71 more Edit links This page was last edited on 16 May 2018, at 13 : 49 ( UTC ). 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Question: how did the praying mantis get its name
Answer: their upright posture, while remaining stationary with forearms folded