Praying with an Attitude

   

Let's talk about Mantids!

Does any insect trigger memories for you? For me, when I see mantises I think of being being terrified they would attack me as a kid. I was very convinced these alien looking insects were out for blood, their triangular heads moving slowly, following my every movement. Then WHAM! It jumps on me and goes after my fingers. Yeah - this never happened and never will. But boy was I convinced! Maybe my mom told me a tall tale about them so I wouldn't mess with them, just like my sister told me the stove would blow up if I touched the knobs - that one left me scared of stoves for a long time (sisters are great, am I right?). 

Sometimes it feels like I'm being watched... 

As an adult I don't feel worried a mantis will eat my fingers off - so glad I got over that one. Now, they just fascinate me like many insects do. I get so excited when I stumble upon one while working in the garden. The phone comes out and a photoshoot commences, the mantis just hanging on to the plant, still as always but watching, probably wondering what this crazy lady is doing. Young Julie would be shocked and maybe a little terrified to see Adult Julie willingingly picking one of them up. 

But which mantis is which? And why are some problematic now? 

The Basics

Mantids include insects in the family Mantidae, closely related to grasshoppers and cockroaches. They are considered beneficial ambush predators as they are helpful with pest management - although they are non-selective and will eat the beneficials as well. Mantids are fairly distinct with their unique front legs used for grasping prey, triangular heads and large compound eyes. There are around 2,400 species around the world (wow!) with most living in tropical areas, some in temperate. In the United States there are about 20 species. Eggs are laid in the Fall in frothy masses called an ootheca. You've probably seem one of these egg masses before while working in the garden or hiking. Mantids are generalist predators and eat a variety of insects and spiders, sometimes their own kind even (yikes). Females have even been observed eating the male while mating (double yikes).  While that behavior might be a little questionable  (ma'am, didn't anyone teach you it's rude to eat your mate?) there are many fascinating facts about mantids and some really interesting species! Did you know they are the only insect that can move it's head side to side and not move its body? Pretty wild! You'll often hear them referred to as 'praying mantis' as their folded front legs look like they are in prayer position, I imagine praying for their next meal ("Lord, send me a spider!").  Let's take a look at the commonly encountered species in Pennsylvania. 

Yes this is a mantis! The orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus ) is native to tropical forests in Southeast Asia. They are also often bred and kept as pets. 

 

Carolina Mantis

The Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis carolina) - our native mantis! A Carolina girl like me.  At just around 2.5 inches long, their small size makes them fairly distinct compared to the larger, exotic guys. Colors vary with this species as they are able to camouflage themselves well. Some are a mottled gray, some green and some brown. Color isn't the best way to tell them apart from the other common mantids we have. Check the wing length and  body size! The Chinese and European mantis have wings that extend all the way down their abdomen while the Carolina mantis has wings that do not reach all the way down the abdomen - they go about 2/3 down. They are much smaller than the Chinese mantis but may get mixed up with the European since the sizes are similar. Like all mantises, the Carolina mantis is non-selective with it's diet and will also feed on beneficials but the small size make them unlikely to take a whole bird down - we'll get into the bird eating with the Chinese mantis. Finding one of these in the garden always brings a smile to my face. 

At Chanticleer. The wings do not reach all the way down the abdomen. 

Keeping me company on some Cosmos 

Patiently letting me take a million photos of it :) 

The egg mass (ootheca) of the Carolina mantis. Flatter and oval shaped. Photo: Debbie Ross

Chinese Mantis 

The Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) ended up in the United States the way many exotic species do - in the plant nursery trade. It was actually in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia where the  Chinese mantis was accidently brought over in the late 1800's.  The Chinese mantis is much larger than the Carolina mantis - up to 5 inches in length. Pretty big! And with that size comes their big but not so great reputation. Looking up this species of mantis will bring you to many articles about them being invasive (though they are not on the invasive species list). You'll see pictures of them munching on a Monarch and one horrifying image of a hummingbird in its grasp. Many people are now hunting down their egg masses and disposing of them. Though the hummingbird eating is rare and unnatural, it has definitely stirred the pot and upset many people. There is not a lot of research yet but it has also been said they are outcompeting and even eating the native mantis species and with their large size I wouldn't be surprised if a native mantis became their breakfast. Their eating habits make them a bit of a wild card in the garden but do they deserve all the hate? What are your thoughts? 

Chanticleer. The male is much smaller! 

My hobbies include holding random insects

A mantis party in the Cutting Garden of Chanticleer. It would be very unfortunate to be an insect that stumbles upon this area. 

The ootheca of the Chinese mantis. More rounded and protruding. Photo by Debbie Ross. 

European Mantis 

The European mantis (Mantis religiosa) is the one mantis I have no photos of yet - where are you hiding? The European mantis has a large and distinct dot on the inside of its front legs which distinguishes it from other species as well as being totally green in color. Their wings are also all green and reach down the entire abdomen. Chinese mantis wings also reach down the entire abdomen but only the forewings (top wings) are green. They are about 4 inches long as adults - a little bigger than the Carolina mantis and an inch or so smaller than the Chinese. As with the Chinese mantis, the European mantis made it's journey to the United States accidentally in the nursery trade - glad we finally learned to quarantine plants. They are generalist feeders as well but not much slanderous information about them was found as with the Chinese mantis. 

The distinct black dot on the inner front arm. 

The ootheca of the European mantis. A similar shape as the Carolina but puffy. 

It's conflicting to know that some of these species of mantis have a bad reputation now, as I find them all so interesting and beautiful. I encounter them often working in gardens and enjoy their presence.  I'm not going to go on a total smear campaign against the exotic species or lead an egg mass murdering spree but I will say it is good to be aware and understand the origin of insects you see often and how to deal with ones that are non-native. If you feel strongly about finding and disposing of an egg mass of an exotic species in your garden or while out and about, then you do your thing! As a community it is simply good to be able to identify an insect and understand different view points. 

I personally believe we have bigger fish to fry (or insects?) with our time and resources when we have the Spotted Lantern Fly and a long list of other species that have made it to the invasive species list before I'm telling everyone to go out and destroy ALL the egg masses.

What are your thoughts on mantids? Do you feel the exotic ones are a huge problem or have potential to become one? Any encounters with them? Share below! 

Resources:

Invasive Insect list

Challenging the Conventional Wisdom

Carolina Mantis

Mantodea

Mantids