Mantis

Insects are many many species, for example butterfly, moth, dragonfly etc. Mantises belong to the class insect. We think they evolved from cockroaches. They have scythe and are oviparous. Their head is triangle with compound eyes. Feelers are two and short. Also they have wings– there are front wing and back wing. The back wing is thin and clear. Ground mantises are degenerate and they can not fly. They menace to other animals.

They are many species about 200. For instance, Tendera angustipennis Japanese name is Tyosennkamakiri,T. aridifolia Japanese name is Okamakiri and Acromantis nawai Japanese name is Hinakamakiri. In Japan , mantises are known about 10 species. They change color by climate. If climates wet, their color is green. While climate is dry, their color is brown. Usually they have green color but Hinakamakiri has brown color. Tyosennkamakiri also have green color or brown color. There are many exceptions . Okamakiri is biggest than any other two species, about 70~90mm length. Hinakamakiri is smallest two species 18~21mm length. Tyosennkamakiri is 70~80mm length.

Mantises are mantis genus. They live in tropical and subtropical areas. Japan is Temperate zone except Hokkaido . Therefore probably we can see mantises just about all in Japan.

Mainly their range are tropical and subtropical ,so habitat of mantises are jungle ,but at mountains and forest , they are seen.

They are mainly predatory because they eat else small insects. Also females eat males. When winter approaches, temperature goes down. Therefore females have to lay eggs. Female need many nutrition so female eat male that is to say cannibalism. Females lay roes. Roes are laid about 200 roes. Roes are wrapped by a lot of bubble so roes are guarded from shock from outside, heat and cold. Roe grow winter. Next spring a lot of their children hatch and similarly growth. Larva cast their skin and larger than before. Begining, larva have not wing, but very similar to imago. First, ants are natural enemy for beginning of larva. But when larva is big, ants are eaten by them. Roes are laid in about 200 groups but larva to imago population are a few. Larva molt a few times, they become imago. Length of larvae are a few mm. Also agricultural side, they eat else insects so they are called useful insect but at once they eat　always living insects so they are called harmful insect. Thus they are both sides in environment. By the way, mantis has parasite Hariganemusi. Hriganemusi grows up in mantis body and get nutrition from them. When mantis is dipped water, parasite goes out from their body. Finally when parasite get out from mantis, mantis die out.

Mainly we can see them at mountain or forest . Grass or weed are growing thick. Therefore we can very not see them in city. But sometimes we can see them in city. The best season to see them is summer in July to August.