Farmers are always faced with continuous problems about pests and insects destroying their crops. This is really a big problem if it is not controlled since their crops are their main source of livelihood and income. Most farmers would use insecticides but the government is controlling the use of pesticides due to the possible effects of these chemicals to the crops. For this reason, it will be very useful if farmers are taught about praying mantis facts. Praying mantises are actually widely used in certain parts of the world as pest control insects. They may be insects themselves but they never eat crops, leaves, or plants. This information should be shared to farmers because using praying mantises for their pest control procedures will be beneficial for them in terms of getting rid of insects that eat their crops and in helping the environment as well. For farmers, it must be taught that praying mantises are highly predatory and they can consume numerous types of insects in their farms without posing any type of threat to their crops and plants. But praying mantises do not choose their prey too. So if they eat insects that harm your plants, they may also eat insects that actually help your crops. sourcesby:prayingmantisfacts.net

1. PRAYING MANTIS

2. NATURE PRAYING MANTIS

3. Different Types Of P.Mantis
Malaysian Orchid
Mantis
Ghost Mantis

4. Taxonomy
Domain:
Eukarya
Species:
Stagmomanti
s carolia
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Genus:
Stagmomanti
s
Family:
Mantidae
Order:
Mantodea
Class:
Insecta

5. INCOMPLETE METAMORPHOSIS
• Life cycle of praying mantis starts with a unique,
infamous and interesting method that is known as,
'sexual cannibalism'. In this method, the female kills or
feeds herself on the male after mating. In some species
of praying mantis, females eat the head of their mate
after copulation. This is actually a topic of debate
though many researchers deny the hypothesis. It is
said that only 15% of praying mantis females consume
a male after mating. Praying mantis lifespan varies with
respect to different species, but the average lifespan of
a praying mantis is almost one year. In most of the
species of praying mantis, they live only 6 months as
an adult. Summer season is the breeding season of the
praying mantis. There are three stages in the life cycle
of a praying mantis

6. ADULTSNYMPHSEGGS
Eggs: After fertilization, the female lays 10 to 400 eggs in the autumn season.
These eggs are secured on leaves, stems or any other safe surface. The egg
houses are interesting, frothy, liquid-like structures present in their abdomen,
called ootheca. It has a compartment-like special formation for every single egg.
These compartments have a small one-way, valve-like structures that helps the
insects to hatch with minimum efforts. These 'oothecas' are meant to protect the
baby mantis during the cold weather.
Nymphs: The developed small-sized mantis come out of the
oothecas in the spring season. The first meal of these small
praying mantis is surprisingly, their siblings! These nymphs
also eat flies, aphids, and small grasshoppers. These nymphs
take the whole summer season to grow up to adulthood.
Adults :The adult stage thrives in the summer. The adolescent mantid will spend the late
spring and early summer months hunting and eating anything that will not eat it first. They
grow at a steady pace, shedding their exoskeleton as much as ten times in a process known
as molting, until they reach their full size by the end of summer. Right before each molt, the
mantid will often become sluggish and will not eat for sometime. They usually select a solid
branch to secure their footing to assist with the difficult process. It is at this critical time
during each molting process that the mantid can be particularly vulnerable to larger
predators as each shed can take a few hours. Tragically, some can even get stuck in the old
skin during this process and perish. However, when they come out successfully from the
molting process, they soon regain their strength and appetite and are bigger and stronger
than before.
Life Cycle of Praying
Mantis

7. GENERAL EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY OF
PRAYING MANTIS
• The morphology, or body plan, of a praying mantis is similar to that of many insects.
It has six legs, two wings and two antennae.
• However, they have some special features which makes them unique among insects:
i. First they are able to turn their head around like humans can. All other insects
cannot turn their heads, their neck is too rigid to allow it.
ii. Furthermore praying mantids have modified front legs; these front legs are
especially designed to catch prey and hold them tightly. These arms are very
strong and equipped with pointy spikes to keep a firm hold on the prey.
iii. Most adult praying mantids have wings (some species do not). Females usually
cannot fly with their wings, but males can.

8. External Morphology Praying Mantis
Differ From Bees
Bee Praying Mantis

9. Internal Morphology Praying Mantis
Differ From Bees
Bee Praying mantis

10. Benefits of
Praying
mantis in
agriculture
Produce
organic
food
Biological
control
Improve
yield
Reduce
insecticides

11. SUMMARY
• Insects and other arthropods serve in a number of beneficial ecological roles
(sometimes called ecosystem services) in agricultural and natural systems: As
decomposers, helping to mediate the breakdown of plant and other organic
residues, and the mineralization and recycling of plant nutrients from those residues

12. REFERENCES
• https://www.keepinginsects.com/praying-mantis/general/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5673847/
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229499229_The_functional_morphology_o
f_the_praying_mantis_forelimb_Dictyoptera_Mantodea
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320413642_Difference_Between_Complet
e_and_Incomplete_Metamorphosis