Page 116 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

116 ATLAS OF THE WORLD’S STRANGEST ANIMALS

Mantis

Are these innocent-looking insects really cannibals? For decades, it was believed

that females devoured males during mating.The real truth about these
marvellous mantids has now been revealed and, while it might not be as
gruesome as we once thought, it is just as amazing.

Fore legs
Mantises have a pair of grasping
fore limbs,which are called
raptorial legs.These are used to
hold prey securely.

Head
Mantids are one of the few
insects who can manoeuvre
their heads to look over their
shoulders for danger.

Wings
Four wings open with a fanlike
motion when the mantises take
to the air.At rest, they lie along
the body.

(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.