Yes, it's "praying", not "preying" mantis. They are named for the typical "prayer-like" stance. Kids are fascinated by these carnivorous insects and always excited to take a captured specimen to school for show and tell.
One interesting fact I never shared with my students is the notorious mating behavior of the adult female praying mantis, who sometimes eats her mate just after, or even during, mating. One explanation states that sexual cannibalism occurs most often if the female is hungry. But eating the head does causes the body to ejaculate faster. Surprisingly, (or maybe not) this behavior seems not to deter males from reproduction. Now all that praying makes sense, doesn't it?
One interesting fact I never shared with my students is the notorious mating behavior of the adult female praying mantis, who sometimes eats her mate just after, or even during, mating. One explanation states that sexual cannibalism occurs most often if the female is hungry. But eating the head does causes the body to ejaculate faster. Surprisingly, (or maybe not) this behavior seems not to deter males from reproduction. Now all that praying makes sense, doesn't it?
*Note: This picture was taken w/ my new (soon to be returned) camera. I bought a cheaper version of the Nikon CoolPix-you get what you pay for.
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