Photos from open sources of
The order of the mantis (Mantoptera, Mantodea) does not include less than 3000 species. In Russian, these arthropods got this name due to the structure of its front grasping legs. When the mantis sits in an ambush, its spiked covering paws resemble human hands bent in prayer.
At rest, the front legs of the insect remain nestled in the grooves on the hips, just like penknives. Mantis also often raise their paws up, like believers, stretching hands to heaven in supplication.
A photo from open sources
Mantoptera are the only known insects able to peek behind your back. This physiological the peculiarity of the mantis plays, figuratively speaking, an important role in their intimate life. Creating a family with these creatures is a ready-made scenario. for a horror movie. If the female feels during mating hunger, she turns her head back and simply bites off to your partner’s head. Sometimes males cleverly flee from such attacks, however, for most of them on a wedding night Both family life and life in general end.
Praying mantises reach 11 centimeters in length and lead a predatory image. of life. They eat not only other insects, but also small ones rodents, reptiles, frogs and even bats. And now these arthropods were also caught in targeted hunting for birds. Earlier from time to time there were reports of devouring mantis hummingbirds however such cases have been dealt with in academia exclusively as episodic and random. Now now an international team of scientists determined that the representatives of the squad praying mantises always regard small birds as a tidbit prey. And helped experts in this study of the Internet and availability Today, almost everyone has a digital pocket video cameras.
A photo from open sources
It turned out that with the development of information and communication technology, cases of mantis eating birds began to be recorded much more often. Among all known observations, 4% were last century and more than 70% – on this one. Most incidents had place in American reserves, courtyards, gardens, parks and squares. Outside the United States Mantis attacks on birds repeatedly recorded over the past 17 years in Central America, Canada, Africa, Spain, India, Argentina, New South Wales, Australia and the island of Trinidad. It’s about photographs and videos of such attacks that are freely available in World Wide Web.
It turned out that not only hummingbirds become victims of mantis, but also some particularly small representatives of the detachments passerines and swifts. Mantoptera prefer to eat moving live prey – perhaps that’s why modest sizes birds and attract these insects. Praying Mantis is usually imperceptibly creeps up to the bird from above, hangs down and grabs the victim with his spiked paws behind his head, after which he digs jaws into the eye and devours the brain. Another plot for the present horror movie.
Thus, scientists concluded that the hunting of mantis for feathered is systematic and focused.
Life Time Insects Birds
