Photo by Ashleigh Newnes

Many people have the unfounded notion that they should be afraid of the praying mantis. Though they are expert predators, they pose almost no threat to humans. However, I have photographed a praying mantis and had no idea what its next move would be.

Most other insects are pretty predictable, but that’s not always so with a mantis. Many times I have invaded the space of a mantis with my camera and one moment it has been still as stone looking my way with its interrogating, large eyes and in a split second it has flown above my camera (in the complete opposite direction that it was facing) and straight into my face. Unnerving but exciting, all the same.

The praying mantis gets its name from its long front legs, which it holds together, looking as though it is praying. Many cultures associate the mantis with stillness and patience. This makes a lot of sense when you are lucky enough to observe one hunting. They stand completely still, waiting patiently for the opportune moment to ambush their prey. Their predatory success is aided by one of their deadly tactics: camouflage. In Middle Tennessee, you will find brown, grey and green ones. In some other countries there are some mantises that are camouflaged to look like an orchid. Beautiful!

Photo by Tyler Hardee

When the mantis decides to strike, it does so in 1/20th of a second and sinks the spikes on its forearms into its still-alive prey, beginning to chew with its mandibles. A mantis can kill things up to three times its size, and the insect’s bigger species have been known to kill lizards, birds and fish.

Female mantises are also notorious for cannibalism. They famously can eat males while mating; this doesn’t always happen, and the female has to be particularly hungry or agitated. Once finished feeding, they can be seen grooming themselves like a cat and cleaning the residue of their prey from the spikes on their legs.

In the fall, mantises mate and the females lay hundreds of eggs in a large egg sack. The eggs typically hatch within three to six weeks. If you’ve never seen a baby praying mantis, I strongly encourage you to get out this fall and scout for one! A good starting point would be to keep your eyes peeled for the egg sack. It looks a little bit like a spider’s egg sack, only bigger, and can usually be found attached to the stalk of a plant, tree or fencepost.

I have already received lots of reports of sightings of praying mantises, and that number is only going to increase over the coming weeks. If you see a praying mantis, the first thing to do is leave it be! The Carolina mantis (the most common one in our area) is a gardener’s best friend, feeding primarily on insects that devour crops, and they pose no threat to humans. It’s a good bug to have in your yard! Snap a photo of it and share it to TN Wildlife Conservation and Appreciation page on Facebook, so we can all look at the treasure you found in your yard!