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My
Home: I am found in warm
climates on bushes, trees, houses or any structure where I can find
another insect for a meal.
What I
eat: I eat other insects.
What I
look like: I can be green or
brown and range 2 to 3 inches in length. I have a triangular shaped
head with a long torso and grasshopper type back legs. My front legs
have spines and are held upright when I am still, which looks like I am
praying.
How I am
born: I go through three stages
of development: egg, nymph and adult. The female lays an egg case in
the fall that contains up to 300 eggs. I hatch in the spring and emerge
as a nymph, resembling a miniature adult except without wings. I will
develop into an adult by molting, shedding my skin. As an adult, my
lifespan is less than a year.
Fun
Facts: They are the only insects
that can turn their head side-to-side 180 degrees. Their eyes can see
movement up to 60 feet away. Praying mantis bites the back of the neck
of their victim to paralyze it before eating it.
There are over 1,500 species of the praying mantis worldwide. |
