What do you know about the preying mantids?

How do you know if this is an animal?

This living thing has eyes, legs, a mouth a body covered with wings, and other parts that help us know that it is an ANIMAL!

How do you know if this animal is an INVERTEBRATE or VERTEBRATE?

This animal is an invertebrate because it has NO BACKBONE!

This living thing is an ANIMAL that is an INVERTEBRATE. But how can you know if it is an insect?

Three Body Sections head thorax abdomen Three Pairs of Legs One pair of antennae 1

Mantids are easy to recognize. Their front legs look like a T-Rex.

These legs are adapted for capturing prey.

The rows of long and short spines along the front legs snatch and cut prey with raptor-like speed.

A single spine at the tip of the front legs acts as a hook to help snag a prey and bring it to the waiting jaws.

The mantids’ jaws are strong enough to cut through our skin and can chop even large prey into tiny pieces.

The one thing mantids do pray for is a meal!

They feed only on living prey.

A hungry mantid can eat up to 15 crickets a day. Large Mantids can even eat small birds, frogs and small reptiles

Mantids mimic their surroundings--camouflage.

Mantids see any kind of movement with their mobile head, that can turn 180 degrees.

Great vision. Large compound eyes on their small triangular head.

A single ear is found in some mantids on their bellies!

This ear can hearing ultrasonic waves that help it avoid being eaten by bats.