INTERESTING FACT

Praying Mantis Facts

An interesting fact regarding this insect is that, while they are mating, the female praying mantis eats the males head. No one knows for sure why, but it could be that protein from male body helps the eggs develop. Praying mantis have excellent eye sight and they can see up to 18 meters (60 feet) away. They are not dangerous creatures (well at least not to the humans) and their average lifespan is around 12 months. Who wants to be a mantis?

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Posted by: Clyde Joe Cassar

FACT COMMENTS

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if the female eats the male before mating, then what will it mate with?

Yvonne at 11:26PM, Apr 13th 2008.

Perhaps it leaves out the genitals...? Or is it a case of it eating a couple of males before actually finding the one to mate with...I know a couple of women like that !! Praying Mantis kills its mate as its mate dismounts...anyway...such a small mistake could change the whole meaning of a something.

John at 09:58AM, May 6th 2008.

haha no no they eat the head of hte praying mantis before mating with it

Ro at 09:36AM, May 8th 2008.

your all wrong the female does this becouse its their only way the mate, the male has a nerve in the nak the when cut relisis the sperm.. something like that.. this info can be found in every ensiclopedy..

meurix at 10:54AM, Jul 3rd 2008.

She looks hot to mate with!!!!!!!!!!!!

Albert at 04:56PM, Sep 16th 2008.

i reckon that the reason the female eats the males head is because the eggs can grow alot faster and can also grow healty and strong.

ece at 09:01PM, Sep 28th 2008.

Yeah-The male cannot mate with it's head still attached, so in order to mate, the female must bite his head off-and this info can be found in a lot of places!

Erin at 05:36PM, Nov 12th 2008.

I'll bet this causes a large number of male Mantis' to become gay! Wow, and I thought MY girlfriend was rough during sex!

Lester Williams at 06:58PM, Jan 24th 2009.

its a mean website

challace at 10:45PM, Mar 31st 2009.

This isn't true

blah at 04:37PM, Apr 23rd 2009.

Can you please state what isn't true and also point to the source that says otherwise. Please!

Interesting Facts at 12:43PM, Apr 24th 2009.

Lester Williams wrote: #
I'll bet this causes a large number of male Mantis' to become gay! Wow, and I thought MY girlfriend was rough during sex!

lololololilikepielolololz

Dave at 07:27PM, May 5th 2009.

The female praying mantis will eat the male AFTER mating. not before. and scientists believe this only happens 20% to 30% of the time in the wild under watch. The female could be under starving conditions and eats the male. Like a nymph will eat another nymph because they are starving.

Liza at 09:46PM, May 5th 2009.

I read that the female will begin to mate with the male and then she will bite his head off which in turn causes the make to become more vigerous in the release of sperm. It is said that this does not happen every time. And happens more often in the lab than in the field.

Sybil at 11:11AM, Aug 6th 2009.

Females eating males has been documented, but it's not the rule, and males certainly can have sex with their heads attached. Praying mantises are hungry critters and they'll eat anything, including one another. The females are larger than the males, and so can gobble up a male. During mating, the two are necessarily close, and if the female wants a snack, the male is simply available. In the wild, this cannibalism seldom occurs.

One online source is:

http://exoticpets.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=exoticpets&cdn=homegarden&tm=29&f=20&su=p284.9.336.ip_p812.0.336.ip_&tt=11&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.mantiskingdom.com/