Praying Mantis - Insect

What a creature this peculiar insect is... I mean, the females often eat the males after mating, so what more do you need to know? Ha! Yeah, it is quite the vicious eater, let me tell ya. Like a torture device from ancient times, it will seize its prey between two rows of steel-like points and pull 'em to its jaws and begin to devour the victim in a relentless fashion. They sort of look like a cross between a grasshopper and a stick insect, but they are easy to distinguish, nonetheless. Of course, not all praying mantis insects look like the one depicted here, albeit that is the only type I ever see. Certain mantises of Africa and South-east Asia, for example, are striped with vivid color and somewhat take on the color of their local flowers and leaves. The green type blends in very well with green grass and foliage. They get their name because of the way they wait for their prey, almost as if they are praying during the process.

The mating habits of this insect are quite bizarre, to say the least. It is a tragic situation that often involves the female eating the male while copulating. Sometimes, when the two are locked together, the female praying mantis rips the male's head off before they actually finish! Dang, talk about poor patience! LOL!

Side Note:  For the gardeners out there, if you ever see one of these insects in your growing patch, let it be! These things are great for the ecosystem of your garden, especially if you're growing organic and don't plan to rely on insecticides and pesticides. This wicked green mantis helps keep your garden pest and insect free naturally. I've read before that people can buy praying mantis eggs just for this purpose. I'm not sure how efficient they are at removing unwanted visitors to your garden, but I will take all the help I can get.

Image Credit: freewallpaperspot.com/22-praying-mantis-wallpaper.html [Link is no longer valid]

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