100 More Species #100: Chinese mantid

[urbpan]

Chinese mantid Tenodera sinensis

The praying mantis, with its centaur body plan, head that swivels to look at you, and fierce raptorial forelegs is an immensely charismatic insect. I wonder how many (other) naturalists would list an early encounter with one of these creatures as an influence toward their studies. Even people who don't like insects like mantids (as we nature nerds call them), and today I had two different coworkers show me cellphone pics recording their encounters. One made a gesture indicating a length of 8 to 10 inches for the one she saw, which is of course impossible, but underscores how large these creatures are. In fact the Chinese mantid is the largest mantid found in North America--this individual was about four inches long. When you consider that their closest relatives are cockroaches, and what a likely human reaction would be to a four-inch cockroach, then the size seems to matter.

Alas, as you might have guessed, the Chinese mantid is not native to my yard or the region. Chinese mantids and a related European species are sold as beneficial predators at garden shops. They are more visible, if not more common, than native mantid species, and there is some worry that they are displacing North American mantids. I have mixed feelings about the Chinese mantid, since despite the harm they may be causing, they inspire awe and wonder about nature and insects.

Comments

[ellettra.livejournal.com]

They're such strange, interesting creatures!!

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

my aunt who lived in indonesia claimed that she saw mantids that were "the size of small lobsters' indicating "nearly as long as her forearm"...

she was okay with that. until she learned they could fly.

that freaked her the heck out.

i'll never know if she was kidding / trying

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[elainetyger.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on reaching #100.

Any insect that stays outside and doesn't bite or sting me is ok with me.

I liked the foliage shots in the other post, too. Bunch nice pictures today.

[viridian5.livejournal.com]

I once had one somehow come in through my driver's side open window as I was driving 35 mph and sit on my steering wheel. I usually like 'em but it was huge, right there, and really distracting as I was trying to operate a moving vehicle. I pulled over to the side of the road and used an envelope to make it move off my steering wheel and transfer it outside.

I also once had one perch on the side mirror and stay there as I drove 55 mph. Its antennae were waving in the wind like crazy.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

what are the specific characteristics that one should look for to tell the mantids apart?

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[urbpan.livejournal.com]

The Chinese mantids I've been seeing have been all light brown with a green margin. European mantids are apparently either all green or all brown. It doesn't appear that New England has any native mantids, though the Carolina mantid occurs as far north as New Jersey. The head shape of the Carolina (eyes are buggier, if that makes sense) seems distinctive to me. Most of the native mantids are smaller than the introduced species, though the Florida and Carolina are pretty large.

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

AUGH AUGH AUGH now I'm flashing back to those horrible biology classes I had where we were dissecting Madagascar hissing roaches (to get at their digestive tracts), which got up to about 3 inches in the lab. (And then there were escapees. And AUGH.)

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

My first encounter with one was picking it up and having it pinch one of my fingers between it's forelegs. I was three at the time and I still remember how much it hurt.

I still love them though.

I remember it as being all green and maybe a couple of inches long.

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

It's gorgeous!