Mantis religiose, Praying Mantis.
Family: Empusidae. Genus: Empusa.
Body length 43mm to 88mm
Season: All Year
This is Europe’s most widespread species, found over most of Spain.
By having the ability of Cryptic coloration (Camouflage), for survival this is essential for insects like Mantids, used for protection from predators; as well as to attack prey with the element of surprise. Green, brown or yellowish colouring, the immediate surroundings dominates the colouring of each individual, to maintain the stealth status.
Mantids are unique among insects, in their ability to turn their heads, a full 180 degrees.
The males being more agile and smaller, are more active than the larger and physically powerful females. One of the outcomes of these morphological variations is that only males and very young females, are able to fly. Adult females are generally too large and heavy for their wings to be able to fly any distance.
When the male approaches the female he has to do so with extreme caution, he will gradually make his way towards the female, with a stop and go approach, which could take as long as a few hours to cover a short distance. He moves tactfully towards the female staying still now and again, as Mantids are not able to focus properly on static objects. This approach gives him the best chance of being able to mate with the female, without being captured and eaten.
It is common for females to eat the smaller male while mating, this will give her extra nourishment, for her eggs to develop inside her abdomen. She will lay her eggs in a spongy egg case; this is called an ootheca (Sometimes the ootheca overwinters). The nymphs hatch out in vast numbers, they quickly disperse to find a safe place to hunt for themselves. Their diet is a vast array of different insects, some even becoming prey themselves; from other praying mantis nymphs.
Habitat: Open habitats and favouring to be amongst foliage of shrubs, bushes and fruit trees which attract other insects.