Mantids

Mantids

Mantids are among the easiest of insects to recognize. Their fore legs are held in a prayerful pose, inspiring the name praying mantis. In addition, this insect has a flexible neck enabling it to "look over its shoulder". Mantids are voracious predetors and are considered a beneficial insect for that reason. So voracious are they that females often eat males after mating, and newly emerged Matids often eat each other. Mantids make excellent predetors ............

Strong mouth parts easily cut through the armored heads of insects
Fore legs, which have spiny teeth, can be moved very rapidly to snatch prey
The long slender middle and hind legs are used to grasp twigs, helping them to remain motionless while awaiting ambush.

Matids feed on a large variety of insects and their prey may also include small frogs, hummingbirds, and lizards. Gardeners often place egg cases in gardens in hopes of eradicating garden pests that plague fruits and vegetables. When found in the wild, these egg cases are easy to recognize. In fall females lay hundreds of eggs in large oval masses. Each mass is then coated with a foamy substance that hardens. This prevents birds from getting inside the egg mass. The mass is then attached to a twig. In spring the baby mantids crawl out of the mass.

Chinese Mantid

This is the largest mantid and was introduced from China in the late 1800's.
2 1/2 to 3 3/8 inches long including wings
Tan to pale green
Eyes pale tan after sunrise and during the day, chocolate-brown at sunset
Fore wings tan with green along front margin