The Praying Mantis

The Praying Mantis: Mantodea

The Pray mantis (Mantodea) is famous for its front legs that gives them the name,
the position of these legs make the mantis look like it is praying.
Most, but not all, mantids are green, brown, black or even pink!
The mantis uses the colours to blend in with its surroundings to catch prey.

The largest family is the Mantidae (mantids).
Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperature and tropical habitats.
They have a triangular head on the end of a long neck (thorax).

Mantises can turn their heads 180 degrees to scan their surroundings
with two large eyes and three other simple eyes located between them.

They do not use poison but eat the prey alive while they hold it firmly.

The mother praying mantis lays a batch of eggs called an ootheca of eggs.