Page 118 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

118 ATLAS OF THE WORLD’S STRANGEST ANIMALS

Mantis habitats
list includes some of nature’s simplest organisms, the
nematodes, as well as our closest relatives, chimpanzees.
Some animals resort to cannibalism to survive, but the
reasons for such aberrant behaviour are many and
complex. Males often do it to dispose of a rival’s
offspring. Females sometimes do it to reduce the number
of young in their care when food is scarce. Mouse
mothers have been known to eat their whole litter when
they’re stressed. Sexual cannibalism is especially common
in the insect world. Redback spiders, black widows and
scorpions are known to kill their mates during or after
sex, but it now seems that the bad reputation of female
mantids is mostly undeserved.
In nature, a male who wants to mate will generally
approach a female and – if she is interested – some type of
courtship ritual will take place.What was discovered, in
study by Liske and Davis in 1987, was that the mantids’
The female mantis, or mantid, has a reputation as ‘man- cannibalistic behaviour wasn’t natural, but a response to
eaters’. It used to be believed that she devoured the male being caged and observed! It was a ground-breaking study
during mating by biting off his head, as she does with prey. and many enthusiastic entomologists (scientists who study
Numerous studies suggested that not only was such sexual insects) have since followed their work.
cannibalism normal for mantids but that it was necessary
because it was only during the male’s death throes that his Getting in the mood
sperm (reproductive cells) would be passed on. Liske and Davis began their study by subtly altering the
Cannibalism isn’t unknown in nature – in fact, it’s captive mantids’ environment.They fed the insects more
alarmingly common.An estimated 1500 animal species are regularly, kept the lights low, and then allowed them to
thought to indulge in some form of cannibalism.This mate in a darkened room, watched by cameras rather than

Comparisons

Vivid pinks, greens and fancy body decorations help the flower mantids aren’t vegetarians. Like their praying mantis relatives, they’re carnivores
(family Hymenopodidae) to perfectly blend in with the flowers on and are equipped with strong fore legs for capturing prey, and small
which they perch. However, don’t be misled.These colourful creatures but powerful jaws to tear their victims’ bodies apart.

Praying mantis

Flower mantis Orchid mantis

(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.