Chinese mantis
| Chinese Mantis | |
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| Adult male Chinese Mantis | |
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| Species: | T. sinensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Tenodera sinensis (Saussure, 1871)
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The Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) is a species of praying mantis native to China. Around 1895 the species was imported to North America for biological pest control. This species is often erroneously given the taxonomic name of Tenodera aridifolia sinensis; when first classified, T. sinensis was a subspecies of T. aridifolia but T. sinensis is a species now.[1]
Their diet consists primarily of other insects, though adult females can sometimes take down small vertebrate prey such as reptiles and amphibians (some have also been documented preying on hummingbirds[2]). Like some other mantids, they are known to be cannibalistic.
Description
The Chinese Mantis looks like a long and slender praying mantis, that are brown and green. It is typically longer than most other praying mantises reaching just over 11 centimeters,[3] and is the largest mantis species in North America (spread throughout much of southern New England, and the Northeast United States). Their color can vary from overall green to brown with a green lateral stripe on the edge of the front wings. In low light the eyes of the mantis appear black, but in daylight appear to be clear, matching the color of the head. Chinese Mantids are slightly different in color and are usually larger than Tenodera aridifolia angustipennis which were introduced to the United States of America as well. One way of telling Tenodera sinensis and Tenodera aridifolia angustipennis apart is by looking at the spot in between their front legs. If it is yellow then it is a Chinese Mantis but if it is orange then it is a Narrow-winged Mantis.
The female can produce several spherical ootheca roughly the size of a table tennis ball, containing up to 400 eggs. The oothecae are often affixed to vegetation such as bushes and small trees, as seen in the image below.
Captivity
Chinese Mantids are a common pet for mantis enthusiasts, and otheca can be purchased from plant nurseries across the US.
Care
The Chinese Mantis should be kept in a terrarium roughly 3x its body size. The Chinese Mantis is an aggressive carnivore that will tackle and eat large insects. The Chinese Mantis' diet consists primarily of cockroaches, moths, butterflies, grasshoppers, crickets and spiders. At the first instar, Chinese Mantids will eat Drosophila melanogaster and similar small flies. As they grow larger, Mantids will accept House Flies, Blue Bottle Flies, small roaches, and even Asian Giant Hornets .
Mantids drink dew from leaves, so a gentle misting every other day is required. In the terrarium, Mantids require sticks and other foliage for climbing and molting. Mantids will thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 to 38°C. Sudden temperature changes may be fatal.
Predators
Although formidable, the Chinese Mantis is preyed on by birds and the Asian Giant Hornet in its native range.
Culture
Developed in the Shandong province of China in the mid-1600s, Praying Mantis kung-fu is based on the quick movements and techniques of the Chinese mantis. An unrelated style of kung fu that was developed by the Hakka people in Southern China is known as Southern Praying Mantis.
Additional Images
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Adult female Chinese Mantis perched in a tree. -
Adult female Chinese Mantis climbing a tree. -
Adult Chinese Mantis cleaning itself. -
Hatchling Chinese mantis on a baby's hand -
Adult female Tenodera sinensis from front -
Adult female Tenodera sinensis from side -
Tenodera sinensis ootheca -
Adult male Tenodera sinensis -
Sub-adult or close to sub-adult Tenodera sinensis -
Adult male Tenodera sinensis -
Adult female Tenodera sinensis -
Adult female Tenodera sinensis eating a Long Horned Grasshopper -
Adult female Tenodera sinensis on arm -
Underside of an adult female Tenodera sinensis several weeks after molting to adult -
Sub-adult female Tenodera sinensis on hand -
Sub-adult female Tenodera sinensis on hand -
Sub-adult female Tenodera sinensis on hand -
Adult female Tenodera sinensis on hand -
Adult female Tenodera sinensis on hand -
Sub-adult female Chinese Mantis slightly swollen wing-buds -
Pre-sub-adult female Chinese Mantis -
Sub-adult female Chinese Mantis on hand -
Sub-adult female Chinese Mantis on hand -
Sub-adult female Chinese Mantis on arm -
Sub-adult Chinese Mantis on hand -
One green pre-sub-adult female Tenodera sinensis and one brown sub-adult female Tenodera sinensis -
Pre-sub-adult female Tenodera sinensis -
Pre-sub-adult female Tenodera sinensis
Sources
See also
- List of mantis genera and species
- Northern Praying Mantis (martial art), a Chinese martial arts style based around the movements of a Mantis.
- Southern Praying Mantis (martial art), a southern Chinese martial arts style developed by the Hakka people, and unrelated to the northern Chinese martial art style of Northern Praying Mantis.
References
- ^ Ehrmann, R. 2002. Mantodea: Gottesanbeterinnen der Welt. Natur und Tier, Münster
- ^ http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyardbirds/hummingbirds/mantis-hummer.aspx?sc=birdwireJul2005
- ^ http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/praying-mantis-0