Mantis religiosa (Praying mantis)
Mantis religiosa (Praying mantis)
Written by Thursday, 19 November 2009 00:00
"Even within the most beautiful landscape, in the trees, under the leaves the insects are eating each other; violence is a part of life." Francis Bacon
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Mantis religiosa (Insecta: Mantidae; common name: Praying mantis, European mantis) Mantis religiosa, referred to as the European mantis outside of Europe and known simply as the Praying mantis in Europe and elsewhere, is one of the most well-known and widespread species of the order, Mantodea. Originating in southern Europe, the European mantis was introduced to North America in 1899 on a shipment of nursery plants. Now they are found all over the north-eastern United States and Canada to the Pacific Northwest. The European mantis is usually 5--7.5 cm (2--3 inches) long and has shades of bright green to tan. It can be distinguished easily by a black-ringed spot beneath the fore coxae. It is one of several different insects for which a name used within Europe to refer to only a single insect species (in this case, "praying mantis") has become adopted throughout the globe to refer to the larger group of insects to which that one species belongs. The praying mantis is a predator and a very efficient one since it can become almost invisible due to its colouration. In reality it is an ambush predator waiting still till its pray comes in close proximity and then it grabs and kills it with its very powerful forelegs. (1) In many cases, the female may decapitate the male after breeding, something we were lucky enough to capture in two of these photos. In the first photo a juvenile is seen, covered with droplets from the morning dew. In the next two photos, two adult M. religiosa enjoy the last rays of the sun. The fourth foto is a closeup of the head of an adult. In the two last photos a female Mantis has just decapitated a male after mating. Shooting Data: Photos by Marina Parha and George J. Reclos 1. Camera: Nikon D3x 2. Camera: Nikon D3x 3. Camera: Nikon D3x Photo by George Stathopoulos 4. Camera: Nikon D80 Photos by Marina Parha and George J. Reclos 5. Camera: Nikon D700 6. Camera: Nikon D700
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