Mantis are interesting to many because of their bizarre appearance, incredible ability to mimic and a characteristic pose. Facing them, people tend to stay away and not touch this mysterious predator. Their questions are especially worrying: “Mantis bites or not? And how dangerous is it for humans? ” Today we will try to understand the features of the behavior of this interesting insect.
A bit of history
Historically, a mantis, the photo of which we post in this article, has been a popular subject of mythology and folklore. So, in Turkey it was believed that he always points his paws towards Mecca. In Africa, he was credited with the ability to resurrect the dead. And in China, his eggs were fried and given to children to cure them of bedwetting.
Europeans were sure that this insect offers prayers to God and, accordingly, is sacred. But not only thanks to the legends surrounding him, the mantis is a rather interesting creature.
Does a mantis bite? We study the structural features of the insect
The body of the mantis consists of three parts: a movable triangular head, abdomen and chest. This is the only insect that is able, by looking for prey, to turn its head 180 °. The female has a heavier stomach, and she herself is much larger than the male.
The front legs of the mantis are its special sign: they are large, “prayerfully” folded and armed with sharp, razor-like spikes in order to make it convenient to grab and hold prey.
This insect has a huge appetite (yes, the mantis bites, and how!): For feeding some species of mantis use not only insects, but also small rodents, frogs, newts, small snakes and even birds.
There are more than 2200 species of these gluttonous robbers, having different shapes and sizes. And although the line of their behavior is always the same: wait patiently, grab and eat, there are many differences between them both in appearance and in taste preferences.
Mantis bites or not?
Confirmation that the mantis can be very dangerous is at least the fact that the female easily bites off her head to her partner immediately after mating. But, fortunately, the probability of getting a serious bite from this insect is extremely small. Many people caring for them have never received injuries from a mantis, as they are usually not aggressive towards humans. You can only get bitten when the insect decides that you are threatening it with something.
Praying Mantis bites: is it dangerous?
By the way, a mantis bite is often less dangerous for a person than an ant bite. The poison of the latter is capable of causing a strong allergic reaction, but this usually does not occur from a mantis attack. You can only feel the pain at the time of the bite, but it will soon pass by itself. Therefore, victims usually do not need medical assistance, except in cases where a person has a personal intolerance to the enzymes that make up the mantis saliva. It is only necessary to rinse the wound and make sure that it is in a normal condition, that is, it does not swell and does not blush. In case of any violations of the condition, you must always consult a doctor.
