Mantis Mania- A Tale of Sex and Horror in the Insect World

 Generally sex in a headline get's peoples attention, we will get to that horror story soon enough, but
first, a touching photo of my insectoid assassins, my young protege's , my little minions of destruction.

Trying to get young praying mantis to pose for a group photo is like herding cats.
As photogenic as the mantis are, they move incredibly fast, even at this tender young age.
I am nurturing and encouraging these young varmints,whispering softly to them they will soon taste of victory, will crush their enemies on the field of battle. Of course I have named several of them-Socrates, Leonidas, Achilles, Hannibal, Alexander..etc.Each of these young insects is a masterpiece of Nature.
When you watch them, study their movements and behavior, you realize what spectacular
creatures they really are.

In China, there are two systems of martial arts created from watching the attack and fighting
motions/strategies of the praying mantis. Southern and Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu are
both very popular and effective fighting forms in China.

Praying Mantis can turn their heads and  look quizzically over their shoulders.
Their two forelegs are covered in spikes in which prey are caught and trapped.
They are fast now, when they get a little older, they will move so fast when catching prey, their
movement is a blur. They will be 2 times faster than a fly.
They make great pets, if handled properly and frequently, they won't bite.

There are 20 species of native mantis in the United States.
When young, they will eat each other if not fed properly, but prefer small flies, mites and small crickets.
When mature, they will eat flies, beetles, crickets-any other insect. Believe it or not, they will also eat
frogs, lizards, snakes, birds, fish and small scorpions.


Depending on your outlook or sex, here is where it gets interesting or horrifying.
Females are usually quite a bit larger than males and can be very aggressive (really? that's weird)
When mating, with the male in a dominant position, the females will often turn and bite the males head off
and then feed on his body.(Hmmm.......)
Other times they will do this after mating(Men-does this sound familiar?) According to scientists -
the most dangerous point in mating for the males is when they dismount, they are at their most vulnerable
to attack by the females(this does sound familiar)
And here's the kicker-the males seem to be o.k. with this. Other males that observe this behavior do not seem to be bothered or deterred from mating nearby.(Yes, we are that dim-witted)
It figures-males of all species may be the stupidest beings of all times when it comes to sex.
"Oh, you're going to bite my head off afterwards, o.k.", or " I might be killed after this? sounds good to me"!
Yes, like lemmings marching to the sea, males seem genetically programmed to accepting this sort of fate.

*Evidently this  male doesn't mind being eaten by the female after coitus or if he does, nobody can hear him complaining. Strangely enough, Scientists have also been unable to hear the mantis females complaining before or after sex.

And honestly, Mantis and Man alike, we can't help ourselves- If God made anything more beautiful, sexy and mysterious than a female, he kept it to himself.
A note of caution for Men- If your female turns her head around to look at you at a certain time, Look Out!
and certainly be careful, Mantis and Man alike, we are all extremely vulnerable during and immediately after
dismount.