Mantis – Different Kinds of Mantis Species (2018)

Different Kinds of Mantis Species that Exist in Nature

There are over 2300 mantis species thriving on this planet, each of them having different characteristics and appearance. Mantises are mainly known for their appearance as they are capable of hiding themselves in a way that they easily deceive any threat. On the other hand, different mantis species plays a crucial role in controlling the pests in homes and agriculture farms.

Pest control services have no doubt rocketed as more people are buying properties in all kinds of the area which might be infested with pests. Or they have planted the much important agricultural crops which may get attacked by these pests as well. So if anyone is having any kind of problem related to pests and their harmful presence in your property, then they must contact the pest control services because these agencies have the right equipment and professional workers who can make sure to eliminate the potential threat of the pests. Pest control services are of different types which depend upon the kind of pests, size of the area affected and many other factors which may pose a serious threat. There might surely be a local pest control service provider whom you can contact during the times when pests may attack your property and result in a huge loss to your business.

Pest control services are of two major types – Chemical control and Biological control. In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of people choosing the biological method over the chemical techniques. There is a huge difference between the two types of pest control methods and if you are not aware of what is the difference between these two techniques, here is a brief note about it- Chemical pest control services tackle the problem of pests with the help of traditional insecticides and another different form of pesticides, whereas; biological control deals with the problem using natural elements and methods, mostly beneficial insects of different kinds. So, as you can see that there is a huge difference between these two methods.

1. Why Is Biological Method More Popular?

You might be wondering about the different reasons because of which the biological method of pest control is more popular than the chemical method nowadays. Well, there are several reasons for the question asked. In this section, we are going to talk about the top reason because of which the biological method is so popular.

• Reduced Rates of Pesticide Usage- when an agency is using chemical techniques to control the pest, they will be spreading a huge amount of toxins all over the affected boats. But when biological methods are used by the companies, they prevent the use of harmful substances like insecticides and try to fight the pests naturally so that they do not harm the soil and the plants.
• Good Bugs are affected- every area which is infested by pests will also contain different natural predators. These are the beneficial insects which are present in the area to hunt down the pests because they form the diet. So due to their search for food, pests are reduced in a great number. But when you use pesticides and other toxins, it works the same for everyone and even kills those insects which help you to reduce the infestation.
• Pests are Resistant- due to the usage of pesticides upon insects for a long time, it have led them to become really resistant to the toxins. Scientists have found out that the immune system of these pests have started to develop traits which would keep them healthy even when under the influence of pesticides. Therefore, after you are spending a lot of money on pesticides and the toxins are not going to work, you will concur a big loss.

So as you can see here the top reasons because of which people have started to use biological methods to combat the growing pressure of pests. Pests are really harmful to any property because of their menacing activities of destroying and infesting a lot of things. Therefore, it becomes really important that you contact a pest control agency so that they can come over and eliminate the threat in its early stages.

2. Knowing More about the Mantis

Biological methods involve the use of beneficial insects which help us to reduce the number of pests which have affected a region by hunting them down. But the beneficial insects are of several types and they are deployed into active usage according to the kind of pest infestation that has been observed. One the most popular and important beneficial insects in this business have been the Mantis. The insect is very much recognizable from its strong front legs and common green body color which it uses to catch the insects effectively. However, other colors are also present in other types of Mantis found in many areas.

Mantis belongs to the scientific order of Mantodea and there are almost 2300 species of Mantis present on earth. Many species of the mantis can grow up to a length of even 16 cm which is really big and it is what makes them such a versatile predator. The body of a mantis includes generally six legs, two antennas and two wings. These species also have the amazing abilities to turn their head 180° and also to hear ultrasonic sound waves which make them a good hunting insect in any kind of environment. Female adults of many species in spite of having wings cannot fly however the males can. Also, many species have females which look broader and stronger than the male. The different species of mantis have separate abilities which help them to survive in their own habitat.

3. The Different Kinds of Mantis Available

 

 

Mantises, as we have mentioned in the section above, has almost 2300 known species living on this planet. Almost majority of the mantis are predators and therefore they are used a the perfect beneficial insects. Praying Mantises have been considered to be a very important part of pest control services. Mantises hold a very popular reputation in the history of the insect world because they would be often related to magical stories and are believed to have supernatural powers as well. In this section, we will be talking about many types of mantis which are effectively used by humans to counter pest influence over an area which you own.

• Chinese Mantis

the first on our list is the Chinese Mantis. This mantis is one of the most common mantes which can be found in Asia but also in North America and other places because humans have been deploying them to counter harmful pests. The Chinese mantis can be domesticated and do not require much attention for maintenance. The scientific name of this mantis is Tenodera sinensis. Adult Chinese mantis is easily recognized due to their all brown body with brown wings which have a tint of green. A Chinese mantis can grow up to a size of 8-9 cm very easily. A young mantis does not have wings but it develops with time. The adult male and female look almost the same. In spite of being a mantis, the Chinese mantis is not very aggressive and remains calm most of the time. However, it can pose amazing defensive measures when it is being threatened. The ideal temperature for the survival of Chinese mantis is around 22°-30°C. If you are in need of a beneficial insect then the Chinese mantis should not be used because it is physically very less active and more likely to remain calm.

• Indian Flower Mantis

the Indian flower mantis is a very interesting mantis species, which are usually called so because they have amazing camouflage abilities which help them to maintain stealth and silent hunts. The scientific name of this species is Creobroter pictipennis. The Mantis has a creamy white color appearance almost on all over the body but it has some brown and green patches on the abdomen. Their legs are often observed with a striped pattern. The female adults are generally 4-5 cm long but the males, on the other hand, have a body length of 3 cm which is smaller than the females. The females are broader and look much bulkier than the male mantis. An Indian flower mantis is a moderate to less active mantis. The mantis can hunt down preys effectively if there are any present within its range. But if there’s no pest in the area then it may also happen that they will stay in the same spot for days. They are very quick and can hunt effectively but still, it is much less active when compared to other species. The ideal temperature for their survival is 25°C. They prefer to stay in a much more humid environment than other mantis and therefore a humid count of around 60% is preferred to be maintained in their habitat.

• Deaf Leaf Mantis

the name of this mantis has been derived from the way it looks just like a dead leaf. Deroplatys desiccate is the scientific name provided to this specific mantis and is mostly found in different parts of Malaysia and East Asia. They are usually brown in color but the shade of the brown color may be different in separate Mantises. This species of mantis have a huge shield which is termed as prothorax which makes them look like a dead leaf. The dead leaf mantis is one of the biggest mantes with the females measuring about 9cms and the males can length up to 7-8 cm. This species of mantis are not very favorable for pest control services because they are mostly dormant or docile. They are easily scared by insects bigger than their size and would lie motionless as if they are dead to avoid being attacked. However, many of them would also make a dramatic display in which the mantis show of their wings and make themselves look big to scare off insects which hold a potential threat to them. This species of mantis generally favour warmer living conditions with temperatures ranging from 25°-30°C but they can also survive up to a temperature of 18°C.

• Praying Mantis

 

 one of the most popular and important mantis which is probably used by pest control services is the praying mantis. This species of mantis is very helpful for controlling pests when compared to other mantises. They are brilliant predators and have amazing hunting skills which include the 180° turn of their head and ability to hear ultrasounds from a very long distance. You can easily identify a praying mantis due to its full green-colored body including the other parts as well. They have 3 segmented body parts which include the head, thorax and the abdomen. The senses of the praying mantis are absolutely brilliant. They use their antennae to smell and with the help of their large eyes, they are able to view preys and insects on which they hunt upon from long distances. The front legs are an important part of their body because with the help of these they catch the prey. Their habitat temperature should range from 22°-26°C. A single praying mantis can consume up to 150-200 aphids on a single day which allows them to clear up an area of pests quickly.

• Orchid Mantis

 as the name suggests, the orchid mantis is called so because they have the beautiful color of pink and white which resembles an orchid. Although they do not live on orchids, they are called so and the scientific name given to them is Hymenopus coronatus. This species is really popular and are domesticated by many people who love bright colors and patterns. The body color of these insects is variable with some of them having completely white or pink in color and some of them having a mix of these two. However, these insects also have the special ability to change their body color depending upon the environment they are present in. An adult female Orchid Mantis can length up to 6-7 cm whereas the males are only 2.5 cm long. These are not particularly helpful for hunting pests because they are calm and quiet in nature. They will wait for the pests to come towards them for long period of time before they finally start moving to other areas. However, some of them can also be very hyperactive not when they are hunting pests but when they are easily distracted by something else. These insects can survive within a temperature of 25°-30°C.

• European Mantis

originating from Europe, the European Mantis is a good option when you are trying to look for a beneficial insect to combat pests. The scientific name Mantis religios has been given to the mantis, they are majorly found in North America and Europe. The mantises belonging to this species have variable colors, like the light green or different shades of Brown as well. The female adults become 8cm to 9cm long whereas the males are only 7cm. There are several black dots which resemble eye and other ferocious designs. The males can fly very effectively because they have much longer wings than the females. The European mantis is regarded as one of the best beneficial insects because their very ferocious in nature. When it has got track of its prey it will hunt it down and also travel distances to catch them. Therefore they are much more active and into hunting pests than other mantises. The ideal temperature for the survival of European Mantis is 23°-28°C with a humidity of 45-60% humidity present in the environment.

• Egyptian Pygmy Mantis

 just like the people of the Pygmy Tribes of Africa are short in height, these insects are also small in length and therefore they have been termed as Egyptian Pygmy Mantis or Miomantis paykullii. Among this main species of mantis, there are also some subspecies present in various part of Africa. These mantises are really small in size because they will length only 1 inches when they grow into an adult. The females are much bulkier than the males. They can be of various colours like light green, beige, light brown and dark brown. They are active when they can track their prey and will stalk them effectively. However, they are easily scared off and do not have many defensive mechanisms.

So here are some of the most interesting and exciting mantis species that are present in the world. Due to modern technologies and equipment, mantises can be easily bred and brought from all parts of the world. People buy mantises for many different reasons like casual domestication or for the purpose of pest control. Mantises have never been reported to cause any extensive damage to humans, they are friendly to us.

4. Final Verdict

Different mantises can be used for treating various pests and you must do the correct research before deploying them into the concerned area. If you release the wrong insect to deal with the wrong pests then, it would be a real loss for you. You will be able to get much information about these mantises from the person or company you are going to buy them from. If released effectively to combat the right prey, mantis can be the best biological method to treat with pest problems. So if you are looking to buy a Mantis, for treating your pest problem, you can effectively do so by contacting an insect provider or an agency as well.

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