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PETS & ANIMALS

True Facts: The Science of the Praying Mantis

Ze Frank | November 27, 2025



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Credits:

Dr. Chris Oufiero
Dr. Vivek Nityananda
Dr. Greg Sutton
Dr. Malcolm Burrows
Dr. Evgeny Shcherbakov
Dr. Xiao-Jin Pei
Dr. Yuanlang Li
The Mantis Garden, https://www.youtube.com/@themantis
Bugs in Cyberspace, https://www.youtube.com/@bugsincyberspace
Stuffinabox, https://www.youtube.com/@stuffinabox_

Citations:

Bäumler F, Gorb SN, Büsse S. Extrinsic and intrinsic musculature of the raptorial forelegs in Mantodea in the light of functionality and sexual dimorphism. doi: 10.1002/jmor.21590.

Bosse JW, Svenson GJ, Bowers TA, Bourges-Sevenier BM, Ritzmann RE. Context-dependent effects on attack and defense behaviors in the praying mantis Tenodera sinensis. doi: 10.1242/jeb.243710.

Burke NW, Holwell GI. 2021 Male coercion and female injury in a sexually
cannibalistic mantis. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0811

Burrows M, Cullen DA, Dorosenko M, Sutton GP. Mantises exchange angular momentum between three rotating body parts to jump precisely to targets. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.01.054.

Fukudome M, Yamawaki Y. Behavioural interactions between the lizard Takydromus tachydromoides and the praying mantis Tenodera aridifolia suggest reciprocal predation between them. doi: 10.1007/s10164-016-0468-6.

Gemeno, C., Claramunt, J. & Dasca, J. Nocturnal Calling Behavior in Mantids. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-005-3698-y

Goetzke, H.H.; Burrows, M.; Federle, W. Mantises Jump from Smooth Surfaces by Pushing with “Heel” Pads of Their Hind Legs. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics10020069

Hashimoto, Kosei, Suzuki, Koh, Hayashi, Fumio, Unique set of copulatory organs in mantises: Concealed female genital opening and extremely asymmetric male genitalia, https://doi.org/10.1111/ens.12219

He P, Zhang YF, Hong DY, Wang J, Wang XL, Zuo LH, Tang XF, Xu WM, He M. A reference gene set for sex pheromone biosynthesis and degradation genes from the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, doi: 10.1186/s12864-017-3592-y.

Li Y et al. 2025 Turning lances into shields: flower mantids stretch their raptorial forelegs to avert and deflect predator attack.https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.3081

Mizuno, Takafumi & Yamaguchi, Susumu & Yamamoto, Ichiro & Yamaoka, Ryohei & Akino, Toshiharu. (2014). “Double-trick” Visual and Chemical Mimicry by the Juvenile Orchid Mantis Hymenopus coronatus Used in Predation of the Oriental Honeybee Apis cerana. 10.2108/zs140126.

Nardi, G., & Spada, L. (2023). Field observation of the predation of an adult of Podarcis muralis (Laurenti, 1768) (Squamata: Lacertidae) by Mantis religiosa religiosam https://doi.org/10.13133/2284-4880/1545

Nityananda V, Tarawneh G, Henriksen S, Umeton D, Simmons A, Read JCA. A Novel Form of Stereo Vision in the Praying Mantis. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.01.012.

Nityananda V, Joubier C, Tan J, Tarawneh G, Read JCA. Motion-in-depth perception and prey capture in the praying mantis Sphodromantis lineola. doi: 10.1242/jeb.198614.

O’Hanlon JC, Holwell GI, Herberstein ME. Pollinator deception in the orchid mantis. doi: 10.1086/673858.

O’Hanlon, James C. The Roles of Colour and Shape in Pollinator Deception in the Orchid Mantis Hymenopus coronatus. https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.12238

Oufiero CE, Garikipati L, McMillan E, Katherine Sullivan M, Turnbaugh R. Modulation of prey capture kinematics in relation to prey distance helps predict success. doi: 10.1242/jeb.247311.

Oufiero CE, Nguyen T, Sragner A, Ellis A. Patterns of variation in feeding strike kinematics of juvenile ghost praying mantis (Phyllocrania paradoxa): are components of the strike stereotypic? doi: 10.1242/jeb.139675.

Pei, XJ., Zhao, D., Luo, J. et al. The pigment transporter Redboy confers programmed body colour transition in orchid mantises. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02737-0

Rivera, J., Callohuari, Y. A New Species of Praying Mantis from Peru Reveals Impaling as a Novel Hunting Strategy in Mantodea. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-019-00744-y

Schwarz CJ, Glaw F (2021) The luring mantid: Protrusible pheromone glands in Stenophylla lobivertex (Mantodea: Acanthopidae). https://doi.org/10.3897/jor.30.55274

Schwarz, Christian & Shcherbakov, Evgeny. (2017). Revision of Hestiasulini Giglio-Tos, 1915 stat. rev. (Insecta: Mantodea: Hymenopodidae) of Borneo, with description of new taxa and comments on the taxonomy of the tribe. 10.11646/zootaxa.4291.2.2.

Wang Y, Wan T, Wang Y, Zhao P, Liu Y. Ultrastructure of the antennal sensilla of the praying mantis Creobroter nebulosa Zheng (Mantedea: Hymenopodidae). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301445.

Zhao,X et al, Petal-shaped femoral lobes facilitate gliding in orchid mantises, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.11.003.

Written by Ze Frank

Comments

This post currently has 34 comments.

  15. @lahart2003

    November 27, 2025 at 6:09 am

    Oh Ze!!! oh I’ve missed you and your episodes! I didn’t even realize I haven’t seen you but I seen you on X and I thought I haven’t seen him in so long! So I had to come find you again on YouTube! I’m subbed with bells on so I don’t know why I haven’t seen you. Guess no one knows but YouTube and their demon algorithm.
    I hope all is well with you as usual you did a stupendous job, teaching me about the bugs and Dudads!! God bless you!🤣🤣🤣❤️🤗

  24. @C_Burnz

    November 27, 2025 at 6:09 am

    I love mantids, probably my favorite animal on the planet. They can be so mean tho! I stumbled across on on a trail and it didnt try to get away or hide, it postured with its wings out and its hands up and then charged me! It was quite the show 🤣🤣 (also the most aggressive mantis ive interacted with in my entire life)

Comments are closed.

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