The Praying Mantis

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species make
up the Mantidae family of insects. The Mantidae family, in turn, is part of the
order/suborder Mantodea that includes a variety of mantid-like species. But the
existing literature does not reflect a clear consensus about what insect order
Mantodea belong in. Some have placed Mantodea in the Dictyoptera Order-with the
roaches. Others place Mantodea in the Orthoptera Order-with crickets and
grasshoppers. Finally, some believe that Mantodea constitute their own
independent order of insects. There seems to be an emerging consensus around
this position.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

The Mantis Religiosa was first named such and classified by the inventor
of the modern system of biological taxonomy Carolus Linnaeus. The three common
species of mantids in North America are the European mantis (Mantis religiosa),
the Chinese mantis (Tenodera aridifolia sinensis), and the Carolina mantis
(Stagmomantis carolina)

distinguishing features of these three species:

Size

The Chinese ...

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wings only
extend about 3/4 of the way down the abdomen.

Markings

The European mantis is also distinguished as the only of three species that
bears a black-ringed spot beneath its fore coxae.

Species Origins The Carolina mantis is one of 20 mantid species native to North
America. The European and Chinese mantids were introduced to America around the
turn of the century. The European mantis is said to have first been brought to
Rochester New York in 1899 on a shipment of nursery plants. The Chinese mantis
arrived in 1895, from China (duh), on nursery stock sent to Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.

KEY FEATURES

Key features of mantid physiology include a triangular head with large ...

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