All living creatures on this planet are capable of biting something. Whether or not it’s a bite you can feel is another story. Playing mantises are inquisitive, alien-like serial killers and can also be adorable pets. These strange insects also come in a wide variety of colors and forms.
In this article, we will uncover whether praying mantises bite humans and if there is any reason for concern regarding toxins and side effects. We will also look at the different species of praying mantises and if one is more likely to bite than another.
What is a Praying Mantis?
Scientific Name
There are over 2,400 species and 15 different families of praying mantises. The scientific name varies slightly from species to species. For example, the orchid mantis’ scientific name is Hymenopus coronatus, and the European mantis’ scientific name is Mantis religiosa. The European and Chinese mantises are the ones most frequently seen in the wild in North America, though the insect pet trade has a wide variety to choose from. Only 20 species of mantis live in the US.
Scientific name: Mantodea
Class: Insecta
Order: Mantodea; Burmeister, 1838
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Size
Generally speaking, adults typically measure somewhere in the 2 – 5 inch range. Nymphs start under a centimeter long and are wingless.
Appearance
The appearance of the praying mantis can range from tan to vibrant peacock colors on the orchid mantis. All praying mantids (another term for plural mantis used in scientific research) have strange triangular-shaped heads, thoraxes, abdomens, wings (some do not have wings), and antennas. Each section of the insect’s body contains necessary appendages that allow it to live, like its strange compound eyes or even stranger chewing mouthparts.
Their front hooked legs are covered in spines, which help them catch larger fish than they could otherwise. If the insect gets into a bind, it can also use its front legs to dig.
Praying mantises can turn their triangular-shaped heads 180 degrees, similar to humans. It may look like the mantis has two eyes, but it has five. The two easily seen compound eyes are obvious, but the three tiny triangular eyes rest between the antennas. These help the insect differentiate between day and night and also use ultraviolet colors.
Behavior
Now that you understand praying mantids’ appearance better, let’s discuss their behavior. It isn’t quite as alien-like as their looks, but they are still completely weird.
Diet
The praying mantis’ strike attack is so fast that it cannot be seen by the naked human eye. A large portion of the praying mantis’ life is spent sitting and waiting patiently and still so as not to scare away any would-be food.
The praying mantis is very similar to a jumping spider in the way it hunts. If it sees an insect, it slowly and carefully stalks it, then waits for the perfect opportunity to strike. Its front legs shoot out faster than we can see, grab the insect in its raptorial legs, and munch away while the insect is still alive. Regarding the menu, the praying mantis isn’t super picky. They are opportunistic hunters, so whatever shows up goes on the menu.
Breeding
Everyone’s heard of the black widow and praying mantis courtship and post-cuddle action being rather gruesome. They aren’t wrong. There’s a very good chance the male lover will meet his end once his deed is done. It doesn’t always happen but like us, they are all different. Some species of praying mantis can reproduce asexually. Their offspring are basically clones of the mother.
A male will cautiously approach a female, give a performance to impress her, then slowly move closer to mate. The performance helps him escape alive after it’s all finished. However, most praying mantis species do not kill and/or eat the male after reproducing concludes. That is a myth made up by people. Now, some species may kill the male after mating, so it’s a bit stressful being a male praying mantis.
Lifespan
One year in the wild and up to a year and a half as a pet
Do Praying Mantises Bite? Will They Bite Humans?
The praying mantis is a very unusual little fellow in the insect world. They have six legs like all insects, catch food with their pincer-like hands, and their mating ritual might leave you feeling queasy. The praying mantis has three pairs of mouthparts called mandibles, maxillae, and labium.
The mantis’s mouth is incredibly interesting and has many finger-like appendages to help pull the insect dinner into its mouth. The mantis’ mandibles are razor-sharp curved appendages that are strong enough to grab prey far larger than the insect and annihilate it. They work together to capture the insect and guide it into the mouth. The mandibles are basically like eating utensils for the praying mantis. They cut the prey into smaller pieces and shovel it into the mantis’ mouth.
Do praying mantises bite people? No, not typically. They will not seek you out like a mosquito does and take a bite. These shy insects prefer to leave the scene when you enter it instead of fighting. They want exactly nothing to do with humans. If you have a pet praying mantis, they may become familiar with you but will never form an attachment.
If you happen to startle a praying mantis in the wild and it does bite you, don’t worry. They do not have venom, do not have toxins, can’t draw blood, and honestly can’t even really bite. If you are harassing one outdoors, the mantis will strike at you with its front curved legs, but even that is injury-free for a human.
Praying Mantises are Amazing Creatures
Overall, praying mantises are really remarkable creatures. They move with dancer-like grace as they slowly creep up on an insect. They have this wobble dance they do when they want you to leave them alone. It’s completely uncertain of you and is not sure if it should fly away or trust you. If you have a mantis as a pet, they will become familiar with you and know that you bring food and water.
They do not have complex emotions like humans, so they cannot love us but can accept us in their own way. If you are new to owning a praying mantis, do tons of research before purchasing one, and if you are just looking for a refresher course on praying mantis care, there are many sites with invaluable information on the alien-like insect.
