Whether it’s a Mantid or a Mantis - I’m a fan. And why wouldn’t I be? The way they use their stereoscopic vision to accurately judge the distance to their prey before deploying those raptorial forelimbs, embedding their spiky appendages into their meal before consuming the unfortunate victim - alive.
Sorry, that all got a bit dark, eh?
But to be fair, they do usually eat from the head down … small mercies and such I suppose.
Potter wasps are large and powerful insects themselves, though they’re no match for such a gargantuan mantid.
The name mantis, which means “diviner,” was given to this insect by the ancient Greeks because they believed that it had supernatural powers. Mantid, or “soothsayer,” also reflects this belief. - Britannica
Ruthless predators they are, but this doesn’t mean they’re invulnerable to becoming snacks themselves. Birds, lizards, spiders etc. and even members of their own species are all partial to a bit of mantid, snatched from the table d'hôte, (the host being me, the table my garden).
Australia has around 118 known species of praying mantids, ranging in size from 10 to 120 mm in length.
Family: Amorphoscelidae
This family contains mantids on the smaller end of the scale, (no larger than 30 mm) - often with wonderfully cryptic camouflage.
I found the little dude above hunting on our outside table - which was perfect, as I had a tasty beverage to hand, which meant I could simply settle in and enjoy my very own private live-action, nature documentary.
Who needs reality TV, am I right?
Anyway, I’ve also heard people refer to some of these insects as “Tree-runners”, which after observing them, I think is extremely apt.
Mantid Life Cycle
Most mantids don’t live longer than six months to a year, and start life as eggs ensconced in a type of foam deposited by the female that hardens as it dries.
Once a tiny nymph emerges - life is precarious at best. Not least of all because there’s a good chance one of its siblings might be feeling a tad peckish!
The reality is that most juvenile mantids won’t make it to the Netflix and Chill stage of development.
However, if they manage to survive the gauntlet of predators and hungry family members - they’ll possibly get the opportunity to pass along their genes to the next generation.
For a female, this is a relatively simple task of finding a suitor. For a male, well, let’s just say that courtship may involve redefining just what constitutes a dinner date.
Shudder.
Where to find mantids?
Mantids can be found virtually anywhere within their range, but are most abundant in the tropics. If you’re a bit of a sedentary sorta naturalist, (should you be, then welcome, pull up a recliner) one of the easiest methods of spotting mantids is to leave an outside light on.
Do mantids make good pets?
IMO, they don’t. They live short lives and require live food every day to stay healthy. However, there’s nothing wrong with relocating one, from say a window sill, to a nice area of your garden where there are plenty of juicy morsels for it to enjoy.
Right, well I promised a gallery and thus a gallery there shall be. Just like the other photos used in this post - I snapped these in my garden.
Enjoy.
As much as I’d love nothing more than to continue to prattle on about these extraordinary insects, there are things that need to be rubbed and polished.
I’m sure you understand.
So until next time, and as always.
Take Care - Bear