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Insects: Mantises

Discover strange facts about mantises: praying mantises, orchid mantises, Asian giants, and the ambush predators with rotating heads, raptorial forelegs...

6 articles
Do Female Praying Mantises Really Eat Their Mates? The Sc...
Mantises

Do Female Praying Mantises Really Eat Their Mates? The Sc...

Only 13-28 percent of praying mantis matings end in cannibalism. Expert guide to the science, evolution, and purpose of sexual cannibalism in mantises.

Feb 7, 2026 16 min read
Praying Mantises: The Ambush Predators of the Insect World
Mantises

Praying Mantises: The Ambush Predators of the Insect World

Explore the extraordinary world of praying mantises, from their lightning-fast raptorial strike and unique 3D vision to orchid mantis flower mimicry and the truth about sexual cannibalism. Expert-written guide covering 2,400+ species, hunting strategies, camouflage adaptations, and groundbreaking re

Feb 6, 2026 20 min read
Orchid Mantis
Mantises

Orchid Mantis

Everything about the orchid mantis: size, habitat, aggressive mimicry, supernormal stimulus research, diet, reproduction, and the strange facts that make Hymenopus coronatus the most deceptive predator in the rainforest.

Jul 26, 2025 14 min read
Praying Mantis
Mantises

Praying Mantis

Everything about the European praying mantis: size, stereoscopic vision, raptorial strike, cannibalism, ootheca reproduction, diet, lifespan, and the strange facts that make Mantis religiosa one of the most specialised ambush predators on Earth.

May 29, 2025 15 min read
Chinese Mantis
Mantises

Chinese Mantis

Everything about the Chinese mantis: size, habitat, diet, hunting, reproduction, the 1896 introduction to North America, hummingbird predation, and the strange facts that make Tenodera sinensis the largest mantis in North America.

Mar 31, 2025 14 min read
Ghost Mantis
Mantises

Ghost Mantis

Everything about the ghost mantis: size, habitat, dead-leaf camouflage, colour morphs, diet, reproduction, pet care, and the strange facts that make Phyllocrania paradoxa one of the most cryptic insects in Africa and Madagascar.

Jan 30, 2025 13 min read