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praying mantis - Amantide religiosa
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
A praying mantis, or praying mantid, is the common name for an insect of the order Mantodea. Often mistakenly spelled preying mantis (a tempting mistake, as they are notoriously predatory) they are in fact named for the typical "prayer-like" stance. The word mantis derives from the Greek word mantis for prophet or fortune teller. The preferred pluralization is mantids, though there is some usage of mantes or mantises.
Body
Like all insects, a praying mantis has a head atop the body, an abdomen housing vital organs at the other end and, in between, the thorax.
Head
The head of the praying mantis is triangular and shaped like a penis. The eyes of the mantis bulge large and round from the sides of the head. The eyes are made even more effective by the mantis’s ability to rotate the head 360 degrees.
The mouth of the praying mantis is made for chewing and biting. There is an upper and lower jaw as well as palps along the sides.
The praying mantis is deaf to most sounds (those not ultrasonic) and there are no ears on the head (Yager and May).
Torso
The torso of the praying mantis, consisting of the thorax and abdomen, is much elongated in size. The thorax is very long and thin. The legs and wings connect to it.
According to Yager and May, the praying mantis has one single ear in the middle of the thorax on the underside. This single ear, which is a deep slit inside the thorax, allows it to hear ultrasonic sounds.
Legs
The praying mantis, like most insects, has six jointed legs. The rear four legs are the main walking legs. and are longer than the front two. The front two legs are shorter and set in a "praying" position, and are lined with spines and end with sharp hooks for capturing and killing prey.
Camouflage
Praying mantids have the ability to adapt their color to their surroundings. This camouflage of earth tones, ranging from a dark brown to a bright green, allows the praying mantis to blend in and wait for its prey.
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La sua colorazione varia dal verde brillante al marrone chiaro. Si distingue facilmente per la presenza di una chiazza nera a forma di occhio sotto la parte anteriore del corpo che viene mostrata a scopo difensivo.
L'accoppiamento delle mantidi è stato spesso legato al simbolo del potere femminile negativo in quanto la femmina dopo essersi accoppiata o anche durante l'accoppiamento divora il maschio partendo dalla testa mentre gli organi genitali proseguono nell'accoppiamento. Questo comportamento è dovuto al bisogno di proteine nella rapida produzione di uova. In allevamento spesso la femmina infatti essendo ben nutrita "risparmia" il maschio.
Le mantidi sono originarie dell'Africa e si diffusero rapidamente nell'Europa meridionale. Si è diffusa anche in Nord America a partire dal 1899, sembra importata accidentalmente con un carico di piante da vivaio.
In Africa ancora oggi le mantidi sono oggetto di culto e credenze religiose per gli indigeni |
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Un ottima preda molto amata dai foto naturalisti esperti in macrofotografia.
Andrea
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Ottima preda non facile da mettere a fuoco, immagino.
Grazie, ciao, Emanuele