Mating and breeding. What do praying mantises eat? Common praying mantis at home

The praying mantis is perhaps one of the most amazing and strange insects on our planet, both in its habits and way of life, some features of which can slightly (or even greatly) shock us people. Yes, we are talking about the famous mating habits of mantises, when the female mantis after the mating process (and sometimes right during the process) eats her unlucky gentleman. But, of course, this is not the only thing that makes praying mantises remarkable for, and in our article today we will tell you about all aspects of the life of these unusual insects.

Origin of the name praying mantis

The academic name for the praying mantis was given back in 1758 by the great Swedish naturalist Karl Liney, who drew attention to the fact that the pose of a praying mantis in ambush and guarding its prey is very similar to the pose of a man folding his hands in prayer to God. Because of such striking similarity, the scientist gave the insect the Latin name “Mantis religiosa”, which literally translates as “religious priest”; the name “mantis” itself came into our language.

Although it is not called this way everywhere, our hero also has other, not so blissful names, for example, in Spain he is called Caballito del Diablo - the devil's horse or simply - muerte - death. Such creepy names are obviously associated with the equally creepy habits of praying mantises.

What a praying mantis looks like: structure and characteristics

The structure of the praying mantis is characterized by an elongated body, which distinguishes it from others arthropod insects.

The praying mantis is perhaps the only living creature that can easily turn its triangular shape, head all 360 degrees. Thanks to such a useful skill, he can see an enemy approaching from behind. He also has only one ear, but despite this, he has excellent hearing.

The eyes of the praying mantis have a complex faceted structure, located on the sides of the head, but in addition to them, our hero has three more simple eyes above the base of the antennae.

The antennae of mantises are comb-like, feathery or filamentous, depending on the species of the insect.

Mantises, almost all of their species, have well-developed wings, but mainly only males can fly; females, due to their greater weight and size, find it more difficult to fly than males. The wings of praying mantises consist of two pairs: front and rear, the front ones serve as a kind of elytra that protect the hind wings. Also, mantis wings usually have bright colors, and sometimes there are even original drawings on them. But among the many varieties of mantises, there is a kind of earthen mantis (Latin name Geomantis larvoides), which has no wings at all.

Mantises have well-developed forelimbs, which have a rather complex structure - each of them consists of many parts: trochanters, femurs, tibiae and tarsi. The bottom of the thigh has large sharp spines arranged in three rows. There are also spines (though smaller ones) on the mantis’s shin, which is decorated with a sharp, needle-like hook at the end. See the picture for an indicative structure of a praying mantis's foot.

Mantises hold their prey just between the thigh and the lower leg until their meal is over.

The blood circulation of praying mantises is primitive, but there is a reason for this - an unusual respiratory system. The mantis is supplied with oxygen complex system trachea connected to dichals (stigmas) on the abdomen in the middle and posterior part of the body. The trachea contains air sacs that enhance ventilation throughout the respiratory system.

Sizes of praying mantises

We have already mentioned above that female praying mantises are much larger than males, oddly enough, this is where their main sexual difference manifests itself.

A species of praying mantis, called Ischnomantis gigas in Latin and living in Africa, can reach 17 cm in length; perhaps this representative of the praying mantis kingdom is a real record holder in size.

Ischnomantis gigas is the largest praying mantis in the world.

It is slightly inferior to Heterochaeta orientalis or Heterochaeta eastern, it reaches 16 cm in length. Ordinary mantises are much smaller in size, on average no more than 0.5-1.5 cm in length.

Mantis color

Like many other insects, mantises have excellent camouflage abilities, this biological method protection from predators, due to this their colors have, depending on environment, green, yellow and brown tones. Green mantises live on green leaves, while brown ones are inseparable from the bark of trees.

What does a praying mantis eat?

It is no secret that our hero is a notorious predator who loves to feed on both smaller insects and is not afraid to attack larger prey even than himself. They eat flies, mosquitoes, bees, wasps, bumblebees, butterflies, beetles, etc. Large representatives of the praying mantis family (see above) can even attack small rodents, birds and small amphibians: frogs, lizards.

Mantises usually attack from an ambush, unexpectedly grab the prey with their front paws and do not let go until they have completely eaten it. Strong jaws allow these gluttons to eat even relatively large prey.

Enemies of Mantises

Although praying mantises are excellent predator hunters, they themselves can also become prey for snakes, some birds or bats. But the main enemies of mantises, perhaps, are their own relatives - other mantises. Fights to the death between two rival mantises are not uncommon. The fights themselves, both between praying mantises and with other insects, are very spectacular; first of all, the praying mantis seeks to scare its opponent, for this it takes a special frightening pose - it throws its front paws forward and lifts its belly up. All this may be accompanied by corresponding threatening sounds. Such a demonstration of strength is by no means feigned; mantises are desperately brave and bravely rush even at a much larger opponent. Thanks to such courage and bravery, mantises often emerge victorious from such battles.

Where does the praying mantis live?

Almost everywhere, since their habitat is very wide: Central and Southern Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa, Australia. They are only absent in the northern regions, since mantises are not very accustomed to the cold. But they are perfectly suited to, for example, hot and humid climates tropical Africa And South America. Praying mantises thrive in tropical forests, steppe regions, and rocky deserts.

They rarely move from place to place, preferring their usual habitat to unknown distant places, the only reason that can prompt them to travel is the lack of food supply.

Types of mantises: photos and names

Scientists have counted about 2000 different species of mantises; unfortunately, we will not be able to list them all in our article, but we will describe, in our opinion, the most interesting representatives.

The common praying mantis lives in most countries of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The common praying mantis is a very large representative of the praying mantis kingdom, reaching up to 7 cm (female) and 6 cm (male). As a rule, they are green or brown in color, the wings are well developed, at least, flying from branch to branch is not a problem for the common mantis. The abdomen is ovoid. This type of mantis can be distinguished by a black spot, which is located on the coxae of the front pair of legs on the inside.

Obviously, the homeland and main habitat of this type of mantis is China. The Chinese mantis is quite large, females reach up to 15 cm in length, but the size of males is much more modest. Have green and brown colors. A characteristic feature of Chinese mantises is their nocturnal lifestyle, while their other relatives still sleep at night. Also, young individuals of Chinese mantises do not have wings, which grow only after several molts, at which time they acquire the ability to fly.

The praying mantis Creobroter meleagris lives in southwest Asia: India, Vietnam, Cambodia and several other countries. Usually reach 5 cm in length. The colors are white and cream. You can recognize them by the light brown stripes that run along the entire body and head. Also on the wings they have one small and one large spot of white or cream color.

The mantis Creobroter gemmatus especially loves the humid forests of southern India, Vietnam and other Asian countries. This species is small, females grow to only 40 mm, males up to 38 mm. The body is more elongated than that of other relatives. And for additional protection, the Indian praying mantis has special spikes on its hips. different heights. Painted in cream colors. Representatives of this species are excellent flyers, both males and females, due to their low weight, and both pairs of wings are well developed. Interestingly, on the front wings they have a spot similar to an eye with two pupils, which scares away predators. Flower mantises live, as their names suggest, in plant flowers, where they guard their prey.

The same mantis Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii lives in the countries of southern and eastern Africa. In terms of lifestyle and size, it is very similar to the Indian flower mantis. But what is especially interesting is its coloring - it is truly artistic; on the upper pair of wings there is an interesting pattern reminiscent of a spiral or even an eye. The abdomen of this species has additional spines, which give it its name.

The orchid mantis is, in our opinion, the most beautiful representative of the mantis world. It also received its name for a reason, namely for its external resemblance to beautiful orchids, on which it actually hides in ambush, waiting for its next victim. Female orchid mantises are exactly twice as large as males: 80 mm versus 40. And orchid mantises, even among other mantises, are distinguished by amazing courage; representatives of this species are not afraid to attack even insects twice their size.

The oriental heterochaete, or spiny-eyed mantis, is one of the largest mantises in the world (the female reaches 15 cm in length) and lives throughout most of Africa. These mantises live in the branches of bushes, fortunately appearance also resembles twigs.

Reproduction of praying mantises

And here we move on to the most interesting part, namely the reproduction of mantises, which, as a rule, has a sad and tragic end for the males. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, but start in order. With the onset of the mating season (usually in the fall), male praying mantises, using their organs of charm, begin searching for females ready to mate. Having found one, he performs a special “mating dance” in front of her, which elevates him to the rank of sexual partner. Then the mating process itself begins, during which the female praying mantis has the bad habit of biting off her male’s head and then completely eating him. Some scientists believe that this behavior, which is more than creepy in our opinion, also has its own biological reasons - having eaten her “groom”, the female in this simple way replenishes the reserves of nutritious protein substances necessary for future offspring.

Although it also happens that the male manages to get away from his “beloved” in time, thereby avoiding the sad fate of food.

After some time, the fertilized female lays eggs, simultaneously enveloping them with a special sticky secretion, which is secreted by their special glands. This secretion serves as a kind of protective capsule for the eggs of future mantises and is called an ooteca. The fertility of a female depends on its species; usually a female is capable of laying from 10 to 400 eggs at a time.

Praying mantis larvae stay in the eggs from three weeks to six months, after which they crawl out of the eggs. Further, their development proceeds at a fairly fast pace and after about 4-8 molts the larva degenerates into an adult mantis.

Keeping praying mantises at home

Terrarium

It would be a very exotic and unusual act to get yourself a pet praying mantis, wouldn’t it? However, there are people who have such “pets” and if you also want to join them, then the first thing you will have to take care of is the terrarium. A relatively small glass or plastic terrarium with a mesh lid is suitable; its dimensions should be at least three times the size of the mantis itself. Inside it would be nice to place twigs or small plants on which the praying mantis will climb like trees.

Temperature

Praying mantises are heat-loving insects, so optimal temperature for them it will be from +23 to +30 C. You can use special heaters for terrariums.

Humidity

Also, do not forget about humidity, which is also important for these insects. Optimal humidity for mantises it is 40-60% and to maintain it you can put it inside the terrarium small capacity with water.

What to feed praying mantises at home

Live food. Crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches, and flies are perfect. Some species of praying mantises will not mind eating ants. And at the same time, they need to be fed regularly, so keeping such “pets” can be somewhat troublesome. But you don’t need to give praying mantises water, since they get the liquid the body needs from food.

• One of the styles of Chinese martial arts wushu is named after the praying mantis; according to legend, this style was invented by a Chinese peasant watching mantises hunt.
• In the Soviet Union at one time they wanted to industrially use praying mantises as biological protection from pests of agricultural plants. True, this idea had to be abandoned, since the praying mantises ate and beneficial insects, the same bees.
• Since ancient times, praying mantises have been frequent heroes of various myths and legends among African and Asian peoples; for example, in China they personified stubbornness and greed, and the ancient Greeks attributed to them the ability to predict the coming of spring.

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So how to care for it?

• Be careful with your pet and do not drop it, otherwise it may die;
• The longer you watch and handle the praying mantis, the faster it will become tame;
• Do not allow excess liquid to accumulate in the terrarium, as it may attract ants;
• Transparent terrarium for praying mantis fits better, so it will be easier to observe him;
• Food for your pet can be purchased at a pet store;
• It is better to raise a pet yourself than to catch an adult mantis.

Warning

• Do not feed your pet insects that are too large;
• Be careful with spiders, as they can be poisonous to the praying mantis;
• Remember that two mantises will never live peacefully in the same container and may kill each other.

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A little about the insect

An adult praying mantis can be quite large in size - its length can be ten or more centimeters.

The color of this insect can be yellow, green, light brown or other, depending on its environment. Having the ability to mimic by nature, the praying mantis can merge with branches, plants and stones that have a similar color, and therefore it will be very difficult to notice.

He has a triangular, highly mobile head, which he can rotate 180 degrees. The front legs are well developed with sharp spines, with which it grabs its prey and holds it while eating. The praying mantis also has wings, but it flies very poorly, so most often it sits motionless in one place, waiting for prey.

The lifespan of a domestic praying mantis is about two months, but some species, according to some sources, can live for about a year.

Temperature

Since insects are tropical inhabitants, accordingly, it is necessary to keep a praying mantis at home in temperature conditions from 20 to 25°C, while also observing the required humidity regime. Maintaining humidity in the praying mantis cage is not difficult, just spray water over the cage once a day, this will be enough.

How does a domestic praying mantis feed?

What to feed a praying mantis at home? Such pets prefer aphids, flies, and other insects of suitable size. Young individuals grow very quickly, provided that the owner feeds them well.

Many representatives of mantises can show aggression towards their relatives, so cannibalism is quite possible, especially if there is a significant difference in size between individuals. Pet praying mantises can also consume insects that are the same size, or perhaps even larger than themselves.
Praying mantises do not drink water in most cases; however, a container of water should be placed where they are kept. This will also serve as a source of moisture to maintain the desired microclimate. If there is no container, spraying water to provide humidity will be a necessary condition.

Living conditions

During the stages of its development, the praying mantis tends to shed its skin, thus increasing in size. For individuals that have just been born, a small container will be an excellent home, but for teenagers you can use a jar or something similar in size. The temporary housing of young mantises should be covered with film, after making a hole in it for feeding. A necessary condition is the presence of branches in a container, which should be exactly three times larger in size than the young growth.

Features of reproduction

When kept at home, a young mantis has almost no gender difference, but adult individuals can be easily recognized due to the fact that males have eight lobes on the abdomen, but females have only six. Before insects begin to mate, they must be fed with a large amount of food, while being separated from each other. To prevent the male from becoming food for the female, a container is needed large sizes, where the breeding process will take place. The whole action may take several minutes or days, but the presence of food is required. After mating is over, the male is separated from the female.

A female can produce eggs ranging from 30 to 300 eggs. The larvae will be born in an interval of 3 to 6 months, but they may not all hatch at once.

The main nuance for keeping praying mantises at home is the presence of a large container for their habitat, which must necessarily contain live food, as well as the opportunity for its inhabitants to hide. By observing these requirements, cannibalism will be excluded, however, after the insects have moulted several times, they must be seated.

If you want to have yourself unusual insect, That house praying mantis will fit perfectly. This insect is undemanding in maintenance and does not take up much space. Such a pet can be caught in the wild or purchased at a pet store.

And if you haven’t yet chosen a pet to match yours, pay attention to the terrible tarantula - the hero of Hollywood horror films, or its eternal enemy - the scorpion.

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- carnivorous insects. Most species of mantises live in tropical countries, although some species are found in northern regions. The closest relatives are stick insects, grasshoppers and cockroaches. Like their relatives, praying mantises undergo metamorphosis and go through several stages of maturation.

Most mantises are of tropical origin, so they should be kept warm (20-25°C). Young mantises feed on aphids, fruit flies, fruit flies and other small insects. Juveniles grow quickly if you provide them a large number of stern.

Most species of mantises are aggressive towards each other and, if kept together, they can eat each other, especially if one mantis is larger than the others. Almost all mantises are good at eating insects that are the size of the mantis itself or even larger.

Praying mantises usually do not drink, however, it is good if there is a small dish of water in the room where they are kept. A dish of water also provides the necessary moisture. If there is no dish, then you need to spray water every day.

Housing. As the mantis grows, it will shed its skin several times, growing larger at each stage. For newborn insects, a small container, such as a yoghurt cup, is suitable; a teenage praying mantis can be transplanted into a jam jar or a bottle of milk. The top of the yogurt cup should be covered with film. You need to make a small hole in the film to supply food. A tube can be inserted into the hole to provide access fresh air. Regardless of the type of container used, branches must be placed in it so that the insect can crawl and hang on them (during the molting period). The height of the container (from floor to ceiling) should be three times the length of the insect.

Reproduction. It is difficult to distinguish male and female juveniles, but it is easy in adult praying mantises: males have eight lobes on the inside of the abdomen, females have six. Before mating (separately from each other), the male and female are intensively fed for several days. For breeding, it is advisable to use a large container, otherwise the female may eat the male. Mating may occur immediately or may take several days. There should always be food in the cage so that the female can feed during mating. After mating is completed, the male moves away.

The female (depending on age and species) can lay from 30 to 300 eggs. The emergence of larvae from eggs is observed between 3-6 months. Young people can be born all at once or in different time. Young mantises can be kept together for some time, but then the container must be large, there must be many secret places in it, and there must be live food constantly present; all these conditions will prevent cannibalism. After the second or third moult, the praying mantises should be seated.

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What is not advisable to feed praying mantises:

Cricket (Gryllidae). The cricket itself is a harmless insect. If you caught it on the street, you can safely feed it. But the crops sold in pet stores live on artificial feed, due to which crickets develop harmful bacteria. The immunity of praying mantises very often cannot cope with such an infection, and cases of cricket poisoning have been recorded not only among them. Many people (usually Sphodromantis holders) will try to confuse you and tell you that this is all nonsense. And you, of course, will believe them, which you will regret. Why Sphodromanthis? Yes, because these are one of the most powerful mantises in the culture, which practically no infection can take (but a cricket can cope with them). By the way, people who breed crickets themselves claim that praying mantises live well on them, but, as you understand, not a single good keeper is going to test their theories on their own living creatures.

Cricket dust. This is a separate topic. Newborn crickets have not yet accumulated all sorts of rubbish in their bodies, so they are perfectly fed to the first moulting mantises. But I will leave this type of food here, because it seems to me that it is completely useless. Dust is more expensive than fruit flies, does not reproduce (it ends in 3-4 days), requires separate feeding, and is not juicy and rich in nutrients. That is, it is inferior to Drosophila in all respects.

Lionfly (Hermetia illucens). In addition to the cricket, there are a number of food animals that are not recommended for the praying mantis. This is, first of all, the Black Lion. Lion fly larvae serve as nutritious food for reptiles, so recently they can be increasingly seen in specialized stores. But don’t be fooled: the flies themselves accumulate substances in the body that lead to failure nervous system and the death of the praying mantis, which was recently proven by Sergei Pugaev, unfortunately, from his own experience. Feeding a Lionfly is even worse than feeding both a cricket and a maggot.

Turkmen cockroach (Shelfordella tartara). The second undesirable food item is the Turkmen cockroach. Its effect on digestive system The action of a praying mantis is similar to that of a cricket, although cases of departure are much less common. Moreover, there is not enough in a cockroach nutrients, so even strong mantises that feed on uninfected cockroaches may have poor moulting, and pregnant females often cannot lay ootheca. Feeding Turkmen is permissible, but with mandatory use other feeds.

Red cockroach (Blattella germanica). Is it possible to catch an ordinary cockroach at home and feed it to a praying mantis? No! Prussians eat all sorts of nasty things and accumulate toxins from cockroach poisoning. This kind of food is not suitable for the praying mantis. However, there are people who have raised the culture of the Red Cockroach and feed it well; the breeding cockroach will not pose a danger to the mantis. But do you need it? If there is an escape from such a colony, not only the praying mantis will have to catch cockroaches...

Maggot and his friends. I would like to start the last item on the list with the words: “About the boil.” The fact is that in our time there are a lot of smart people who, under various pretexts, feed all sorts of rubbish to the praying mantises. Let me once again list specifically for them some foods that are strictly prohibited for use: maggots, bloodworms, worms, snails... Is the logic clear? Anything that a praying mantis does not normally eat in nature, it should not eat in your home. This is poison. Muchnik and zofobas, by the way, are also included in the list, as are any larvae. They are too fat, this at least disrupts the formation of oedema in females and shortens their life. Yes, and more. Giving the praying mantis meat (raw, boiled, fried, rotten, your finger too) is IMPOSSIBLE. It simply won’t be digested and will clog the digestive system.

Phew! I hope you are not confused, I tried to be more detailed. Perfect option- this is to combine 3-4 types of food and see which mantis takes more willingly. But most simple types Only Marble cockroaches are enough. Okay, let's assume that now you understand the issue of feeding the praying mantis, and we can move on.

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Description

The color is protective, very variable, ranging from green or yellow to brown-gray or dark brown. The pronotum is of moderate length, the front legs are grasping, in addition to obtaining food, they are also used for movement. The hind legs are running. The wings are well developed in both males and females (although females, due to their impressive size, fly very poorly and reluctantly). The abdomen is ovoid, rather long.

How to keep a praying mantis as a pet?

The praying mantis can make a fun and cuddly pet. This pet is intuitive and more intelligent than most members of the insect family. A praying mantis can often live for up to a year, sometimes longer, if cared for properly. In fact, some naturalists even claim that the praying mantis can recognize humans.

1. Make a home for the praying mantis

The container for keeping the praying mantis should not be too large so that it can find its prey and, at the same time, it should not be too small so that it is not too crowded. The length of the container should be 3-4 times longer than the mantis itself, and the height should be at least 2 times its length. The reason for this is that the mantis must have enough space to pursue its prey, but not excessively, otherwise it will not be able to find it.

2. Create the right environment

A praying mantis requires a favorable environment to live. Make holes in the top of the lid or container to allow the mantis to breathe. The cage should have several plants that are the same color as the insect so that your pet can camouflage itself, but the cage should not be overcrowded. The bottom of the container should be filled with a layer of soil approximately 1.2 cm thick, preferably sand. Make sure the container is not too wet. If the sides are foggy, add a few more holes on the top or sides. Spray the inside of the cage about once a day to ensure the mantis has water to drink. The praying mantis will climb up the wall of the container and lick the water. If you place an open container of water in its home, the mantis may fall into it and drown.

3. Feed the praying mantis

A praying mantis' nutritional requirements will vary depending on their growth stage, although in general they won't need much food.

• For a larva purchased from a pet store: feed fruit flies, small crickets, mosquitoes, aphids and other small insects.
• For a full-grown mantis that is molting (adult stage): start increasing the size of the insects, and then at each shedding period, feed normally, but remove anything that it ignores, because the mantis may not eat while molting.
• For a fully grown mantis, you will have to work hard: catch butterflies, crickets, grasshoppers or even house flies. In the wild, praying mantises will consume anything they can catch and hold. They've even been known to eat bees and wasps in the wild, but you probably don't want to mess with them.
• You don't have to buy crickets from a pet store, although some people will tell you that using wild crickets can make your pet sick. There may be no harm... for store-bred mantises, but for wild caught ones there will be harm. Caution should be exercised when it comes to pet store-purchased crickets. In many pet stores, the crickets are not fed or cared for properly, and any diseases these crickets have may end up being passed on to your mantis. If you're not sure, feed store-bought or caught crickets a good diet food for a few days to help them deal with the bacteria in their gut and they'll be fine.
• Don't give your praying mantis live food that is larger than it is or that might eat your praying mantis itself.

What to feed a praying mantis in winter?

If you thought that the praying mantis is a harmless and very calm insect with a passive demeanor, then get ready to learn something new about them. Researchers have discovered that these aggressive carnivorous insects kill and eat not only small reptiles such as frogs and lizards, but also small birds. A study by an international team of zoologists has documented this behavior in praying mantises around the world.

It is noteworthy that in general this behavior of mantises was not special. A YouTube search easily turns up a selection of videos showing a praying mantis eating a hummingbird. A new study by a team of zoologists systematically documents 147 examples of mantis attacks, representing 12 different types, on small birds. Scientists tracked the behavior in 13 countries, finding that praying mantises preyed on 24 species of birds.

Interestingly, more than 70 percent of documented cases have been recorded in the United States, and the majority of victims are hummingbirds. Praying mantises have been used in gardens for decades as biological pest control agents, and to this day, many Americans still use both imported and native species for pest control. But new research shows the insects also pose a threat to small passerine birds. In addition, such inselectivity of mantises makes them not the best remedy insect control.

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For full development, mantises need a temperature of 23-25 ​​degrees Celsius, so in the room where the terrarium with mantises is kept, you need to use special heating lamps. Praying mantises are diurnal, so they should not be kept in a dark room. Can be used artificial lighting — daylight lamps during the day and moonlight lamps for easy observation of animals at night.

In winter, as you know, you can’t catch insects on the street, but this problem can be solved. You can buy maggots at a pet store - they are sold in plastic containers, into which dry sawdust is poured; At home, such a container can be stored in the refrigerator. If this container is kept at room temperature, then the maggot pupates quickly, and in a week you will have fresh flies. The second option is zofobus: in a box with cereal they not only live well, but also continue to reproduce. Good for winter food different kinds cockroaches IN as a last resort, you can feed the praying mantis with small portions of meat. But in large quantities You should not give meat - the insect may get sick and die.

IN natural conditions The praying mantis grabs any insect that passes by it. Young animals require more food for full development; Adults can go without food for five days.

At home, the praying mantis should be fed so that the animal's abdomen is always full.

But you should not throw in large numbers of food insects - this can lead to stress on the mantis. In addition, some insects have quite developed jaws, with which they can bite the mantis during molting.

Food for a pet is any insect that is suitable for it in size. Young animals need to be fed small insects - such as aphids, fruit flies, fruit flies. Adults are very voracious, eat almost any insect in large quantities and can even feast on a small lizard or mouse.

Adults are fed once a week: you need to make sure that the mantis does not overeat, otherwise rupture of the abdomen cannot be avoided. Be sure to have water in the terrarium. You can use a special insect drinker to prevent animals from accidentally drowning, or plastic cover for a jar.

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Butterfly - description. The structure and appearance of butterflies.

The structure of the butterfly has two main sections: the body, protected by a hard chitinous shell, and the wings.

A butterfly is an insect whose body consists of:

• Head, inactively connected to the chest. The butterfly's head has a round shape with a slightly flattened occipital part. Round or oval convex eyes of a butterfly in the form of hemispheres, occupying most lateral surface of the head, have a complex facet structure. Butterflies have color vision and perceive moving objects better than stationary ones. In many species, additional simple parietal eyes are located behind the antennae. The structure of the oral apparatus depends on the species and can be of the sucking or gnawing type.

• The breast of a butterfly has a three-segment structure. The front part is significantly smaller than the middle and back part, where three pairs of legs are located, which have a structure characteristic of insects. On the shins of the butterfly's front legs there are spurs designed to maintain the hygiene of the antennae.
• The abdomen of a butterfly has the shape of an elongated cylinder, consisting of ten ring-shaped segments with spiracles located on them.

The antennae of the butterfly are located on the border of the parietal and frontal parts of the head. They help butterflies navigate their surroundings by sensing air vibrations and various odors. The length and structure of the antennae depend on the species.

Two pairs of butterfly wings, covered with flat scales of different shapes, have a membranous structure and are penetrated by transverse and longitudinal veins. The size of the hind wings can be the same as the front wings or significantly smaller than them. The pattern of butterfly wings varies from species to species and captivates with its beauty. In macro photography, the scales on the wings of butterflies are very clearly visible - they can have completely different shapes and color.

The appearance and color of the butterfly’s wings serve not only for intraspecific sexual recognition, but also act as protective camouflage, allowing it to blend into its surroundings. Therefore, colors can be either monochrome or variegated with a complex pattern. The size of a butterfly, or better said, the wingspan of a butterfly, can range from 2 mm to 31 cm.