FAMILY MANTIDAE - MANTIDS AND PRAYING MANTIDS
Mantids are slender, carnivorous insects with the forelegs evolved into highly-specialised vicious grabbing claws that make them deadly hunters. The legs are lined by razor-sharp spines which enable them to maintain their grip on prey once they have captured it. Most species have evolved cryptic colouration, huge eyes and have a triangular head that is able to turn through 180º which assists in prey location and improves hunting success. The hunting position with the forelegs raised, poised to strike, earns them the common name "praying mantis". Mantids are well-known for their unusal copulatory behaviour. The smaller male mounts the female and as he continues to copulate with her the female devours his head. Once copulation is completed the female consumes the rest of his body, assuring enough nutrients are available for the next generation. Between 15 and 400 eggs are laid in a frothy shell which quickly hardens and the emerging juveniles may even practice cannibalism on their siblings after hatching. When threatened mantids may respond aggressively, rising up with mouth open and legs spread ready to strike - furthermore they may spread the wings making them appear larger, and many species have brightly-coloured wings marked with ocelli (eye-spots) that startle predators. Mantids are long-lived insects and may survive for up to a year.
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Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law. Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay. Photographs on this web-site were taken by Paul Smith, Laura Tensen, Regis Nossent,
Alberto Esquivel, Teatske Nieuborg, Sylvia Centrón and Jeni Oborn and are used with their permission.
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FIGURE 1 - Unidentified sp. - Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith May 2007).
FIGURE 2 - Unidentified sp. - PN Tte Enciso, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith July 2006).
FIGURE 3 - Unidentified sp. - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith March 2006).
FIGURE 4 - Unidentified sp. - Bahía de Asunción, Departamento Central (Regis Nossent July 2005).
FIGURE 5 - Unidentified sp. - PN Tte Enciso, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith October 2007).
FIGURE 6 - Unidentified sp. - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith November 2007).
FIGURE 7 - Unidentified sp. - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Alberto Esquivel December 2007).
FIGURE 8 - Unidentified sp. male - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith February 2008).
FIGURE 9 - Unidentified sp. - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith February 2008).
FIGURE 10 - Unidentified sp. - near Bahía Negra, Departamento Alto Paraguay (Teatske Nieuborg 2007).
FIGURE 11 - Unidentified sp. - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Laura Tensen February 2008).
FIGURE 12 - Unidentified sp. - Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith March 2008).
FIGURE 13 - Unidentified sp. - PN Tte Enciso, Departamento Boquerón (Sylvia Centrón March 2008).
FIGURE 14 - Unidentified sp. - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Jeni Oborn April 2008).
FIGURE 15 - Unidentified sp. - PN Tte Enciso, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 16 - Unidentified sp. - Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 17 - Unidentified sp. - Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 18 - Unidentified sp. - Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 19 - Unidentified sp. - Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith February 2010).
FIGURE 20 - Unidentified sp. - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith April 2010).