Praying mantises are fascinating insects found on every continent except Antarctica. They inhabit both temperate and tropical environments, with a preference for tropical regions. These insects, closely related to cockroaches and termites, belong to the order Mantodea. While technically only insects in the genus Mantis are "praying mantises," all insects in the Mantodea order, known as "mantids," exhibit a prayer-like pose with their front legs at rest.
These masters of camouflage are typically green or brown, resembling leaves or sticks. They possess six legs, including two spiked, grasping forelegs called raptorial legs used for catching and holding prey. Their triangular heads feature two compound eyes, and their flexible necks can rotate 180° to scan their surroundings. Despite not being strong fliers, many mantises have wings for short bursts of flight.
Let's delve into the specifics of one of the most impressive mantis species, the West African Mega Mantis.
West African Mega Mantis (Plistospilota guineensis)
Plistospilota guineensis female
Plistospilota is a genus of mantis from West Africa, belonging to the tribe Tenoderini. Among its members, Plistospilota guineensis, commonly known as the West African Mega Mantis or simply Mega Mantis, is the most famous and currently holds the record for the heaviest mantis.
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Habitat and Appearance
Mega Mantises thrive in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa. They are typically brown or beige in color, with green legs. Their wings are covered in black bands in most species, with their hindwings being black and the coastal margin of their tegmina being pale, with black bands in most species.
Size and Characteristics
Plistospilota guineensis is known for its large size, averaging 10 centimeters in length, and robust appearance. Their body is a pale beige color, with green legs and orange inner procoxae. The prosternum is also tinted orange. The inner tegmina of this species are red, with their hind wings being black.
Praying Mantis Size Comparison
Behavior and Aggression
Mega Mantises are quite aggressive, especially females. They prefer eating large prey like moths and butterflies and have a higher chance of eating their mates than most mantids. Because of this, they aren't bred in captivity very often. They are also prone to threat displaying when threatened but usually run away instead of attacking if they are startled further.
Taxonomy
Several described members of Plistospilota were formerly part of Polyspilota before being separated into their own genus by Giglio-Tos in 1911.
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Other Notable Mantis Species
While the West African Mega Mantis is impressive, here are some other large mantis species:
- Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis): Native to China, Japan, Korea, and Thailand, this species can reach over 4.3 inches and is the largest recorded praying mantis in North America.
- Australian Giant Mantis (Hierodula majuscula): Found in the coastal rainforests of northern Australia, these mantises can be green or bright yellow and grow up to 4.3 inches.
- Giant African Stick Mantis (Ischnomantis gigas): This medium brown mantis can reach up to 6 inches in length.
- Toxodera denticulata: According to Guinness World Records, this is the largest species of mantis currently described, with a body length of 7.8 inches.
General Mantis Facts
Here are some additional facts about praying mantises:
- There are over 2,500 species of mantises in the world, belonging to over 450 genera and more than 30 families.
- Adult mantises are masters of camouflage, blending in with their surroundings.
- Mantises have strong mouthparts for chewing prey and flexible necks that can rotate 180°.
- They are carnivores, eating a wide range of insects and sometimes even small lizards or frogs.
Mantises develop by gradual metamorphosis, molting six to nine times or more. Each time they molt, their hard exoskeleton splits and a soft-skinned mantis pushes itself out. This allow for a larger exoskeleton to grow. As they wait for their new skin to harden, they hang upside down and are quite vulnerable to predators, particularly birds. The time range between molts is usually nine to fifteen days and the mantises will eventually become adults and develop wings.
The African Mantis (Sphodromantis viridis)
Sphodromantis viridis female
Also called African Mantis or Bush Mantis, this species (Sphodromantis viridis) is a popular pet around the world. Despite its scientific name (viridis is Latin for green), this insect ranges in color from bright green to dull brown. Females can reach 10 cm (3.9 in) in length. As adults, both sexes have a distinctive white spot on their wings.
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Like all mantises, they have a triangular head and forward facing eyes that give them binocular vision, a great advantage in catching prey. Their color can range from bright green to dull brown and are often cryptically-colored to match the background of their habitat.
Behavior and Diet
They are general predators, eating all types of arthropods - mosquitoes and gnats when the mantises are small and moving on to larger critters like bees, moths, grasshoppers, and crickets as they grow. They will even eat other mantises.
Reproduction
Males will frequently become victims of sexual cannibalism, being eaten by the females prior to, during, or after copulation. The eggs are laid on a twig in a frothy, foam-like substance that then hardens. After three to six months, up to 300 nymphs can hatch from a single ootheca.
| Species | Common Name | Typical Length | Habitat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plistospilota guineensis | West African Mega Mantis | 10 cm | West Africa |
| Tenodera sinensis | Chinese Mantis | Over 4.3 inches | China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, North America (introduced) |
| Hierodula majuscula | Australian Giant Mantis | Up to 4.3 inches | Coastal rainforests of northern Australia |
| Ischnomantis gigas | Giant African Stick Mantis | Up to 6 inches | Africa |
| Toxodera denticulata | - | 7.8 inches | Java, Indonesia |
| Sphodromantis viridis | African Mantis | Up to 10 cm | Africa, South Sinai (introduced) |
