Praying mantis

Mantis religiosa

Two legs that snap like lethal traps

Numbers

Weight: 0,14 oz0.1 to 0.2 oz
Length: 3 inadult female; males measure 2 to 2.5 in
Lifespan: 1 yearsabout 1 year
Eggs per ootheca: 200 eggs60 to 70 on average, up to 200
Defensive eyespots: 2 black spotsone on the inner side of each front leg, shown only when needed
From birth to adulthood: 3 monthsborn in May or June and adult by August

its name comes from the Greek word mantis, which means prophet or seer, because of the posture of its front legs.
males have eight segments in their abdomen while females have only six, which is the most reliable way to tell them apart.
it hides two dark spots beneath its front legs, which it suddenly displays to frighten off any threatening predator.
to look larger, it snaps its wings open and sometimes produces a hissing sound by rubbing its abdomen against them.
the female devours the male starting from his head, while his body continues the mating process regardless.
cannibalism depends on the need for protein, so well-fed females in captivity often spare the male during mating.
each egg case contains sixty or seventy eggs on average, but in some rare cases there can be as many as two hundred.
it does not hunt only insects, occasionally catching small reptiles and amphibians that are usually difficult prey to hold.
it originated in Africa and spread from there into southern Europe as well as parts of Asia Minor.
in Germany it is protected by law and catching it is forbidden, whereas in Italy it remains common almost everywhere.

The first one is the question printed in your book: here is the answer. The other four are extra.

Question 1 of 5★ this one is in your book

Where does the name of this insect come from?

Question 2 of 5

How long is an adult female?

Question 3 of 5

How many eggs can an ootheca contain at most?

Question 4 of 5

Why does the female devour the male?

Question 5 of 5

How does it defend itself when attacked?

Experiment 1

Fold your arms in front of your chest like the front legs of a praying mantis and stay completely still for one minute to try the ambush pose.

Experiment 2

Draw a three-inch line on a sheet of paper for the maximum length of a female, and a two-inch line for an adult male.

Experiment 3

Count two hundred grains of rice and place them into a spoon to see the maximum number of eggs a single egg case can hold.