Chinese mantis.html



Chinese mantis
Female Chinese mantis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Mantodea Family: Mantidae Genus: Tenodera Species: T. sinensis
Binomial name
Tenodera sinensis

The Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) is a species of praying mantis. Originating from China, they were first introduced to North America around 1895 as a source of pest control. Since then, the species has spread throughout much of southern New England, and the Northeast United States, and ootheca can be purchased from plant nurseries nationwide. The Chinese mantis looks like a long and slender praying mantis, with different shades of brown. The adult has a green lateral line down its front wings. It is typically larger than most other mantises, growing up to 10 cm (4 inches) in length, and are the largest mantis species in North America. This species is often erroneously given the taxonomic name of Tenodera aridifolia sinensis. When first classified, it was thought that T. sinensis was a subspecies of T. aridifolia but this is not the case.¹

Their diet consists primarily of other insects, though adult females can sometimes take down small vertebrate prey such as reptiles and amphibians (some have also been documented predating on hummingbirds[1]). Like some other mantids, they are known to be cannibalistic. The female can produce several spherical ootheca roughly the size of a table tennis ball, containing up to 200 eggs. The ootheca are often affixed to vegetation such as bushes and small trees, as seen in the image below.

Their color can vary from overall green to brown with a green lateral stripe on the edge of the front wings. In low light the eyes of the mantis appear black, but in daylight appear to be clear, matching the color of the head.

Culture

Developed in the Shandong province of China in the mid-1600's, Praying Mantis kung-fu is based on the quick movements and techniques of the Chinese mantis.

As Pets

Chinese mantids are the most popular and largest mantid in the pet hobby. Chinese mantids in particular make great pets, and need little care. Anywhere between a two and a half and a ten gallon tank will do. One to three insects a day is more than enough, and they only require about four good sized crickets or three to four grasshoppers a week to survive. Mantids drink by lapping up dew from leaves, so a gentle misting every other day or so will suffice. After being handled a few times, the mantids will allow handling without objection. Being docile by nature, a mantis will often stay perched on a houseplant, bedrail, or piece of furniture for hours at a time, cleaning themselves and keeping a careful watch for the slightest movement, and so can be allowed out of the cage under supervision. Mantids are watchful, curious, fastidiously clean predators and will even eat wet catfood if offered to them on forceps.

Gallery

Juvenile Chinese mantis eating a bumblebee

Hatchling Chinese mantis on a baby's hand

Adult female from front

Adult female from side

Ootheca (egg case)

Sources

• Watkins, Gary. Praying Mantids
• Keeping and breeding Chinese mantis in captivity

See also

• List of mantis genera and species

References