Common Mantis - Kadimki Bataczy
Common Mantis - Mantis religiosa L.
In translation from Latin, "Mantis religiosa" means "divine prophet." In African and Asian countries, these insects were considered sacred.
Mantis have elongated bodies, a large mobile head with prominent eyes, and an elongated prothorax. Their strong, serrated forelegs are the main weapon of this ambush predator. When at rest, these legs are folded in a position resembling a praying person, which is how the mantis got its name.
The length of a mantis can reach up to 8 cm. Its body color is green. Two pairs of wings lie over its back. Females are generally larger than males. The mantis is slow; camouflaged to match the color of plants, it patiently waits for its prey, and when it catches it, it holds it tightly, devouring it while it is still alive. Only males fly; females often have their abdomens filled with eggs during the summer.
The common mantis leads a diurnal lifestyle and rests at night in cover among grass or on the branches of shrubs. Early in the morning, the hungry hunter perches on a branch and begins to look for prey.
It has great patience and can sit still for hours, vigilantly scanning the surroundings. As soon as an unsuspecting bug settles nearby to rest, the mantis stealthily approaches it with slight movements, then quickly thrusts its forelegs forward, capturing the prey with hooks and firmly pinching it between its thigh and shank. The captured victim has no chance of escape—trying to break free only causes it to impale itself more on the spines that adorn the mantis's forelegs—and the mantis immediately devours it. Its diet consists of various insects: flies, aphids, horseflies, bees, grasshoppers, locusts, and sometimes even wasps; however, it usually does not attack spiders. The mantis almost completely satisfies its need for water through the moisture contained in its prey's bodies, but sometimes quenches its thirst by drinking droplets of dew.
When disturbed, the insect emits quiet hissing sounds and assumes a defensive posture. To escape a threat, the male mantis flies away, while the female runs away on foot, as she flies poorly. In danger, the mantis intimidates its surroundings by spreading its wings, and by rubbing its abdomen against its wings, it produces sounds similar to a snake's hiss.
During the mating season, the male mantis responds to pheromones released by the female. Cautiously approaching his chosen one, the suitor first determines whether she is well-fed, and then quickly jumps onto her so that she does not mistake him for lunch. During mating, which lasts from several dozen minutes to several hours, the male transfers a spermatophore containing reproductive products to the female. There are known cases where female mantises, being hungry, bit off the heads of males and consumed them during or immediately after mating. Was it in a fit of ecstasy or just for fun? For humans, this remains an unsolved mystery of these insects. Most likely, this marital cannibalism is related to the fact that the female becomes extremely voracious with the onset of autumn. However, much more often, the small and nimble male manages to escape from his gluttonous partner. The fertilized female lays eggs in several batches—ranging from three to nine. Each batch, containing from 70 to 300 eggs, is placed in a special capsule (ootheca), formed from a foamy liquid secreted from the ovipositor along with the eggs, which quickly hardens in the air. Inside the three oothecae (Ootheca - a type of egg capsule of some invertebrates; formed from hardened sticky fluid secreted by the female during egg-laying. The ootheca protects the eggs from external factors and contains nutrients for the larvae.), the eggs are arranged in rows in partitioned chambers. There are also air-filled chambers that supply oxygen to the larvae.
After 5-7 weeks, larvae emerge from the eggs, resembling adult insects. Once outside, they begin their first molt and start feeding actively after two days. The second and all subsequent molts occur at intervals of 10-12 days. Young larvae living nearby feed on aphids and other small bugs, and when the opportunity arises, they consume each other. After 10-15 weeks, having undergone 7-8 molts, the larvae transform into adult mantises. Sexual maturity occurs approximately two to three weeks after the last molt. In the northern fringes of their range, the eggs laid in autumn overwinter in capsules, and the larvae emerge only at the end of spring.
Distribution: Western Tien Shan, Northern Tien Shan, Alay Valley
Insects of Kyrgyzstan
