The Mediterranean Mantis are commonly found in Los Angeles County.
These praying mantises were native in the Mediterranean region which are in the eastern part of the world (as its name suggests). They were brought here to Los Angeles in the 1930's. Praying mantid are carnivores meaning that they eat meat (neck first, so the prey dies). Praying mantid were called "Praying" because when they are hunting, their fronts legs folds together, which makes it look like the insect is praying. Praying mantises front legs have spikes, giving their prey a disadvantage of escaping the front legs once being caught. Praying mantises can actually digest poisons, but if a poisonous creatures bits it, it will die. Praying mantises have an incomplete metamorphosis (their babies look exactly like their parents). These praying mantises comes in two color, have wings, lay egg sacs. Praying mantises have amazing powers in them that could have been misunderstood.
Praying mantises comes in two colors, green and brown. They need these colors for camouflage, and it's important to them because they use camouflage to catch their prey. Praying mantises catch any type of insects (except ants and other larger praying mantises). If a praying mantis is green a fly might mistaken it as a leaf, and the fly lands near it, the praying mantis strikes its fronts legs at the fly. Now the praying mantis eats the fly whole. If a praying mantis is brown, a bee might just think it is a dead twig, but once it flies close to the "dead twig", the bee gets caught by the praying mantis front claws. The bee might kick the praying mantis, but the praying mantis doesn't seem to care, if it does it will eat the leg that was bothering it. Praying mantis are very good at camouflaging, a prey can be a millimeter close and still wouldn't recognize that there is a praying mantis.
When a male praying finds a female praying mantis, they mate and afterwards the female eats the male. Or sometimes the female eats the males head, but the male will still live for a few days. She only does that when she is too hungry when mating. Right after eating the head, they will start mating. After a few weeks when she is really fat, she finds a perfect place (usually on twigs can be found on poles, fences, anything that is strong structure) and there she squeezes some bubbly thing out from her stomach (when hardens to be the egg sac). When she is doing the egg sac, she is also putting the eggs inside. She does this a few times and then dies. A praying mantises' lifespan is about one year.
The adults have wings to glide or fly (only males could, because females carry the supplies to make the egg sac). The wings are also to scare away predators (predators will think that the praying mantis got bigger, if the praying mantis lift up its wings). The wings can protect their soft back from rain, heat, and coldness. The wings can actually save a praying mantises' life, from becoming food, because the wings either has patterns that makes the predator thinks that the praying mantis grew larger, or that it suddenly has big eyes. This defense is almost the best defense an insect could have.
These praying mantises were native to an area so far away from Los Angeles and is now settled in perfectly in the LA basin. They eat all sorts of insects and bugs, also can even eat poison! Praying mantises comes in two common plant colors, brown and green; use their wings; and lays egg sacs. The Mediterranean praying mantises have tons of amazing facts, that may have been unclear. Overall the Mediterranean Praying Mantis is a very interesting insect to learn about, with all the special features that it has, and the its amazing life cycle.
 |
| Mediterranean Mantis Eating |
These praying mantises were native in the Mediterranean region which are in the eastern part of the world (as its name suggests). They were brought here to Los Angeles in the 1930's. Praying mantid are carnivores meaning that they eat meat (neck first, so the prey dies). Praying mantid were called "Praying" because when they are hunting, their fronts legs folds together, which makes it look like the insect is praying. Praying mantises front legs have spikes, giving their prey a disadvantage of escaping the front legs once being caught. Praying mantises can actually digest poisons, but if a poisonous creatures bits it, it will die. Praying mantises have an incomplete metamorphosis (their babies look exactly like their parents). These praying mantises comes in two color, have wings, lay egg sacs. Praying mantises have amazing powers in them that could have been misunderstood.
 |
| Brown Mediterranean Mantis |
 |
| Green Mediterranean Mantis |
Praying mantises comes in two colors, green and brown. They need these colors for camouflage, and it's important to them because they use camouflage to catch their prey. Praying mantises catch any type of insects (except ants and other larger praying mantises). If a praying mantis is green a fly might mistaken it as a leaf, and the fly lands near it, the praying mantis strikes its fronts legs at the fly. Now the praying mantis eats the fly whole. If a praying mantis is brown, a bee might just think it is a dead twig, but once it flies close to the "dead twig", the bee gets caught by the praying mantis front claws. The bee might kick the praying mantis, but the praying mantis doesn't seem to care, if it does it will eat the leg that was bothering it. Praying mantis are very good at camouflaging, a prey can be a millimeter close and still wouldn't recognize that there is a praying mantis.
 |
| Mediterranean Mantis Egg Sac |
The adults have wings to glide or fly (only males could, because females carry the supplies to make the egg sac). The wings are also to scare away predators (predators will think that the praying mantis got bigger, if the praying mantis lift up its wings). The wings can protect their soft back from rain, heat, and coldness. The wings can actually save a praying mantises' life, from becoming food, because the wings either has patterns that makes the predator thinks that the praying mantis grew larger, or that it suddenly has big eyes. This defense is almost the best defense an insect could have.
These praying mantises were native to an area so far away from Los Angeles and is now settled in perfectly in the LA basin. They eat all sorts of insects and bugs, also can even eat poison! Praying mantises comes in two common plant colors, brown and green; use their wings; and lays egg sacs. The Mediterranean praying mantises have tons of amazing facts, that may have been unclear. Overall the Mediterranean Praying Mantis is a very interesting insect to learn about, with all the special features that it has, and the its amazing life cycle.
Bibliography:
Houge, L. Charles and Hogue, N. James. "Insects of the Los Angeles Basin Third Edition" Natural History Museum Foundation. 1974, 1993, and 2015. ISBN: 978-0-938644-44-6
Comments
Post a Comment