Praying Mantis: Where do these insects get their name from?  

Mantis, popularly known as a praying mantis (scientifically called Mantis Religiosa) is a green-coloured predatory cannibalistic insect belonging to the Mantodea family that has a prayer-like stance. It is an insect having a three-dimensional vision, swift agile motion and a capacity to camouflage itself from potential dangers. Mantis derives its name from the Greek word ‘mante’ meaning prophet. But why is the mantis said to be praying? Let us figure out. 

Why is the mantis said to be praying? 
A mantis is said to be praying as it is mostly seen taking a praying posture, with front legs folded and held together. They develop this praying posture to help them target their preys easily with their powerful foreleg. For this reason, there is a common saying among the zoology community that the mantis prays in order to catch its preys.   

Significant characteristics of a praying mantis 

There are approximately 2400 species of mantises that belong to 15 distinct families. They are native to tropical and subtropical regions. Generally, praying mantises are green in colour.  However, they also exist in brown, white and purple shades. They are naturally gifted in camouflaging, so much so, that they are hard to locate among leaves and branches. They mix seamlessly with their surroundings and also stay perfectly still. This helps them catch their preys easily. The average lifespan of this half a foot long organism is mostly a year.  

A praying mantis has a triangular head with a pair of antennae, an elongated thorax, sharp mandibles, two bulging compound eyes, three normal eyes and a snout. It can move its head up to 180 degrees to detect its surroundings and find its preys. Apart from these, they also have stereo vision to enable them with a clear and sharp three-dimensional focus. Praying mantis has both winged and wingless types. Female praying mantises lay hundreds of eggs simultaneously and young praying mantis is called a nymph.  

How does a praying mantis prey? 
A praying mantis is often regarded as an ambush predator that prefers to have its preys live. It first stalks its prey while staying still, waits around patiently for the prey to come closer and then catches it with its spiked forelegs. It is so swift that its preys hardly ever receive a warning. It mainly feeds on flies, crickets, small spiders and grasshoppers. Praying mantises are known to attack bigger creatures such as hummingbirds, honeyeaters, warblers and toads. Their female feed on their own male partners during or after mating.  

Myths about the praying mantis 
In many ancient civilisations, it was believed that the praying mantis was a creature with supernatural powers. This school of thought is mainly popular in Khoisan culture where it is regarded as a god, while in Mediterranean culture, it is regarded as a necromancer (considering the dead as divine). The Chinese also believe that praying mantises are lucky to be kept as pets and can easily adapt to human interactions. As a matter of fact, in Chinese martial arts, there’s a style of Kung Fu called the Seven Star Praying Mantis.