The Red Book insect, the praying mantis, leaves few people indifferent. Its size, habits, and appearance are also impressive. Because of its large jaw and predatory disposition, the praying mantis became the hero of many fairy tales, and just fables.
Instructions
Step 1
Praying mantises are cockroach-like insects. Large individuals reach 80 millimeters in height (praying mantises stand perfectly on their hind limbs), and females are significantly superior to males in physical parameters. Praying mantis paws are different, the hind legs are powerful with a good pushing reflex, and the front ones are small, they serve for grasping.
Step 2
Under a dense back cloak there are thin wings: the praying mantis not only runs fast and jumps far, but also flies. The head of the insect is large and elongated, black-green spherical eyes are clearly visible, as well as powerful cone-shaped jaws. Aggressive praying mantis opens its mouth wide and puffs up its long mustache.
Step 3
The color of these insects is varied, of course, the green color prevails, but there are also brown individuals and yellow ones, there is an assumption that, depending on the season and age, the insect changes color. This is not about chameleonism, but about some kind of aging or adaptation of the skin. In addition, it is known that praying mantises hunt from an ambush, nature rewarded them all for camouflage: from a distance, the legs look like twigs, and the abdomen is like a leaf.
Step 4
The praying mantis is often called religious, this expression appeared due to the specific posture in which the insect freezes while waiting for the victim: the praying mantis folds its front legs in prayer on its chest. The mantis grabs the victim with its front paws and presses it to the thigh, immobilizing it. At the same time, often voracious females attack victims that exceed them in size, there is a case when a mantis attacked a sparrow and won a victory, the bird surrendered and flew away.
