Evening star., 1948-09-22
This and That
Bu Charles E. TrdceUell

praying mantis Is an unbelievable in
Sect
There he is, his long anterior legs folded as if
in prayer, perfectly at home in your best chair.
How such large gresshopper looking thing
got through the screens is a mystery.
He is after insects, and that imnobile at
titude fools his prey. But the legs can unfold
as quick as wink.
Cats, and even dogs, find them intriguing.
We have watched cat play with one as with
a mouse, but always with reservations, as If
not quite sure it was to be touched.
Perhaps that is the attitude of the average
human.
No matter how long you watch them, they
still seem not exactly cricket, not, er, precisely
human-well, not really insect-like.
For one thing the mantis is so clean. He
gives the observer no idea of exudation.
His light green and russell coloring is such as
might go with the best quality of note paper.
There, indeed, is something paper-like about
him. But inside he is different, and with a
difference that tlrives on smaller insects.
He is said to eat his wife, too, if he can find
nothing smaller.
There are two sorts commonly seen, one a
native species, and the other commonly called
the Chinese mantis. This one is the larger
The lady mantis makes big egg case Of
gray material, and in it lays some so or more
eggs.
These cases are about an inch in diameter
They are commonly hung on shrubbery near
the house. Whether the insect has enough
sense to know that there will be bit OF heat
there, is something no one is sure OF.
In any event, the egg case usually hangs inert
until the first touch of real spring. Now and
then, on a warm winter day, and sometimes
near Christmas, the case splits open, and the
young NANTES (proper pluraD come forth, only
to lose their lives, of course.
&c into finu fot11 du n q a q
case indoors sometimes in the fall. Usually
from half dozen to 10 or II cases hang close
together on bush, usually on the inner side,
next to the house. This would seem to bear
out the belief that the parent mantis knows
something of the heat to come from the house.
The raising of the nantes offers small
problem. There viii be about 48 of the crea-
tures hanging to the mantel, the door and
window frames.
They are in great danger of being stepped
on, and, more to the point, of starving to death.
Food may be given them as follows: Small
bits of liver, or vitamin capsules cut open, and
the jelly used.
1t is good idea to afax the liver particles
to toothpicks and wave them before the tiny
eyes of the little insects.
X
The mantis Is great foe of spiders, even of
centipedes. No home completely equipped with
praying mantis will have any insects, In the
The mantls is perhaps as clean looking an
insect as there is. There is nothing sticky
about him, and he makes no mess He is best,
however, outdoors, where he belongs
The long, slender wings, reminding one of a
locust leaf, are more capable than they look
The mantis, with their aid, can fly rather
capably for lengths of 100 feet Or little more.
His hopping ability is good, but not quite up
to what one expects of him, with those long
legs.
He is absolutely harmless, despite the fact
that he may at first sight remind one of some
thing usually known only to alcoholics
His powers OF remaining motionless rival
those of the mule on the trail or the cat at q
mouse hole The mantis has been known to
wait patiently for 48 hours without moving a
muscle.
Once We had one on a bush Just outside a
sunporch window, where we could lie on the
couch as motionless as he. Between pages, as
we read, we would look up at those cold, cruel
eyes, unwavering in their search for food For
days we watched him, of and on, and never
saw him catch or eat anything, and when
cold weather came, there he was, as fat Qf one
could say thatD as ever.
No one should ever destroy mantis, or per-
init any one else to do so. The insect is one
| of the most useful to man and offers possible
| tiles for interesting nature study. Yet un-
fortunately the first idea of many persons Is to
kill it." As so often Is the case, it is first
idea not as good as second idea' that OF con-
serving 1t. '<