Praying Mantis Facts on its Diet
The praying mantis is one of the most interesting- looking insects that you may find. The appearance and the movements of this insect really intrigue kids. But aside from its appearance, the diet and the predatory behavior of the praying mantis are also fascinating. There are some praying mantis facts on its dietary habits that will surely surprise kids.
Even though the praying mantis is a type of insect, its diet also consists of other insects especially those that are smaller than its size. As soon as the young mantises begin to look for food, they will prey on smaller insects. These insects would actually eat anything as long as they can take the insect down. As they would grow older and bigger, their prey would still primarily be insects but there are evidences that mantises may eat scorpions, lizards, and birds.
When it comes to catching their food, these mantises are very patient since most of them would wait for hours until a prey would come along. This means that they ambush their prey so that they can catch it when it isn’t aware of the danger of being eaten. They also camouflage to the environment so that the prey won’t be able to spot them.
Why Teach Praying Mantis Facts to Farmers Farmers are always faced with continuous problems about pests and insects destroying their crops. This is really a big problem if it is not controlled since their crops are their main source of livelihood and income. Most farmers would use insecticides but the government is controlling the use of pesticides due to the possible effects of these chemicals to the crops. For this reason, it will be very useful if farmers are taught about praying mantis facts. Praying mantises are More... Catching a Praying Mantis The praying mantis is a master of both ambush and camouflage. This silent type of insect patiently waits for its next meal and usually blends in with surrounding leaves and/or flowers completely. The insect’s spiny and long frontlegs are generally strong and can instantly grasp prey and then hold on to it. Although a praying mantis can be easily caught, you must catch it cautiously. The legs of this insect have the tendency to poke and then cause a hand More... Breeding Praying Mantis Breeding paring mantises is not the easiest thing to do. But if you know certain praying mantis facts about pairing the male and the female, then you can have them reproduce and use the egg crates as a business or in your own gardens for pest control. To successfully breed praying mantises, you need to find a female mantis and a male mantis. Do not mix them in the same container until you are ready to breed. It is better More... Praying Mantis Facts for Kids If you ask most kids, they will tell you that they get scared of praying mantises because of their appearance. But if you teach these kids praying mantis facts, they can get fascinated by these insects and they will learn more about the natural life cycle in the environment. The first few details that kids should know about these praying mantises are about the appearance. These insects have their forelimbs folded in front of their bodies which resemble the praying More... Praying Mantis Facts as a Pet A lot of people know that the praying mantis is just a simple insect living in the gardens or the farms. For gardeners, these insects are useful because they help get rid of insects that may eat the flowers and the leaves of their plants. The same rule also applies to farmers who use praying mantises for pest control. But based on praying mantis facts, some people actually have these insects as their pets. In order to have a praying More... |