Mantis religiosa female Insect European Praying Mantis Dyctioptera Mantodea

Mantis religiosa cm 6-6.2 Insect European Praying Mantis Dyctioptera Mantodea, female.
Family: Mantidae (mantids or mantises).
Common name: Praying mantis or European Mantis.
Syn. Gryllus religiosus.

The name of the genus comes from the Greek "mantis", that is, prophet, soothsayer, and refers to the posture of the front legs which recalls an attitude of prayer.
The female, in adulthood, is usually larger than the male. Its color varies from bright green to light brown. Another feature is the presence of two black spots, one for each front paw on the inner side, similar to an eye when shown for defensive purposes.
The eggs are laid in ootheca, produced by the female, during the cold season. Each ooteca contains an average of 60-70 eggs and can reach up to 200.
The mating of mantises is characterized by post-nuptial cannibalism: the female, after having mated, or even during the act, devours the male starting from the head while the genital organs continue in mating. This behavior is due to the need for proteins, necessary for the rapid production of eggs; proof of this is that the breeding female, being well fed, often "spares" the male.
They feed on flies, crickets, moths and other small insects and sometimes even small reptiles and amphibians.
They know how to disguise themselves easily among the leaves, where they wait motionless for their prey. In order to defend itself from the attacks of antagonistic insects, the mantis suddenly opens its wings to appear larger. Sometimes, always for defensive purposes, it also produces a sound that appears as a hiss, rubbing the abdomen on the wings.
Mantises are native to Africa, from which they quickly spread to southern Europe and Asia Minor. It has also spread to North America since 1899, accidentally imported perhaps with a load of nursery plants.
They are widespread especially where temperatures are higher, in fact their presence is considerably lower in Central Europe and almost nothing in Northern Europe. In Germany they are considered protected animals and their capture is prohibited. In Italy it is quite common throughout the territory, from the pre-Alpine areas to the coastal strip, including the islands.