Praying mantis gray. Mantis: where does this amazing predator of the insect world live in Russia?

• Phylum – Arthropods
• Class – Insects
• Squad – Cockroaches
• Suborder – Praying Mantis (Mantodea)

The famous Swedish scientist and traveler Carl Linnaeus gave the scientific name to the praying mantis: Mantis religiosa. Mantis translated from Greek means “prophet”, “priest”; religiosa – religious. Why did the praying mantis get this? strange name? Look at the photo: the praying mantis looks like someone praying. He stands on only four legs out of six, and keeps his forelimbs folded in front of his muzzle, as if he is praying to the Lord

An engraving by the famous Dutch artist Maurits Escher depicts a praying mantis praying for the absolution of a deceased religious dignitary. The praying mantis really looks like a person: it holds food in its “hands”, washes itself after a meal, can turn around (the only one of all insects!) and look intently, just like a person.

But the praying mantis is not as pious as it might seem. In fact, the predatory insect waits in ambush for an unwary victim in order to grab it with lightning speed.

The praying mantis is a typical predator

The praying mantis is a typical example of a predator in wait, or, in other words, an “ambush”. For hours he can sit quietly in a secluded place, waiting for prey. The camouflage coloring allows the mantis to blend in with the vegetation, and even the shape of its body resembles part of a plant. Although he lives among the abundance of greenery, plant foods does not accept. Moreover, the carnivorous insect eats its prey exclusively alive.

Praying mantises are merciless not only towards other insects smaller in size, which for them are nothing more than a tasty lunch, but also towards their relatives. This needs to be known to those who keep this aggressive creature as pet. Two or more praying mantises are unlikely to live together, especially if one is larger than the other.

In the Middle Ages in Japan, the praying mantis was considered a symbol of courage and cruelty, and they even put the image of an insect on the handles samurai swords. And one of the positions in kung fu repeats the pose of a praying mantis, ready for battle. In addition, in China they believed that the praying mantis has healing power and can cure some diseases. The ancient Greeks considered the praying mantis a harbinger of spring and a weather predictor; they called it a “prophet” and “soothsayer.” And in some European countries even today, praying mantises are credited with some magical power. Perhaps this creature, which is an object of superstition, will arouse your interest and you will want to keep it as a treasure?

Praying mantises: appearance and structural features

Praying mantises are large insects, and females are much larger than males. There are about two thousand species of praying mantises in the world. The common mantis (lat. Mantis religiosa) measures about 6 cm in length. The largest of the mantises, the Chinese mantis, reaches a length of 15 cm.

The body of mantises is elongated, the head is almost triangular, mobile. Large, round, bulging eyes that point slightly forward and downwards provide it with a much wider field of vision than a human. And thanks to its extremely flexible neck, the praying mantis can turn its head so that it will notice any creature approaching it from behind. The mouth is well developed and equipped with biting jaws or a sucking proboscis.

Among the praying mantises there are both winged and wingless ones. In insects equipped with wings, both pairs of wings are well developed. The front wings are narrower than the hind wings and denser. When at rest, the wide membranous hind wings are folded like a fan and covered with elytra. It must be said that the wings are for their intended purpose, i.e. for flight, the praying mantis rarely uses it. Rather, he needs them to intimidate prey, as well as enemies.

The body structure of the praying mantis indicates that the insect is well adapted to predatory image life. The abdomen is ten-segmented, soft and flattened, with numerous long outgrowths - cerci (serve as olfactory organs). The long thigh is seated along the lower edge with three rows of strong spines. The lower edge of the tibia also has 3 rows of pronounced spines. The thigh and lower leg fold together to form a powerful grasping apparatus that acts like scissors.

Mantis - master of camouflage

Some types of mantises are green in color, so they are difficult to notice among the grass and foliage, while others can have a pinkish tint, as a result they merge with flower petals. And, for example, the Indian mantis has a brown tint and on the ground looks like just a fallen leaf.

Mantis body shape and various camouflage colors allow the insect to merge with plants, which makes it practically invisible to both potential victims and enemies. The mantis itself can also become a victim of more large predators(birds, lizards). To protect itself from enemies, the praying mantis has a number of protective devices.

Thus, the camouflage color makes the praying mantis hidden in the grass almost invisible. Gives the insect movement. Under normal circumstances, the praying mantis moves very slowly, but when in danger it can quickly crawl to cover. When there is a clear threat, the insect visually increases the area of ​​its body, opening its wings, and begins to sway from side to side, trying with all its might to scare off the enemy. The insect tries to hit the enemy with its front legs with sharp spines.

When the mantis has to defend itself, it moves both pairs of wings to the sides and spreads its legs. All brightly colored surfaces of the body protrude outward. Some species bend their abdomen in an arc and raise their elytra and wings, emitting a characteristic rustling sound.

There is a belief among people that the saliva of the praying mantis insect can poison a mule. Therefore, it is sometimes called the “mule killer.” Other nicknames are “soothsayer”, “prophet”.

All this arose due to the unusual appearance and behavior of this amazing insect.

Who is the praying mantis

The praying mantis is a large predatory insect

The scientific name of the insect is the common mantis. The famous animal researcher Carl Linnaeus mentions it as Mantis religiosa. From Greek, the first part is translated as “prophet”, and the second, from Latin – “religious”.

The insect is quite large, up to 5–7 cm, with an elongated, narrow body and long limbs. The wings are large and well developed, but more often they simply run on the ground than fly.

The abdomen is shaped like an egg. Body color varies. The main color is green, but it can also have a yellow tint, gray or brown. Thanks to this, it can be difficult to notice among the grass or branches.

The praying mantis is the closest relative of cockroaches, but unlike them, it is a predatory insect. It grabs prey with its front paws and eats it. When the praying mantis sits motionless, it raises and folds these legs as if praying. This is where all his nicknames came from.

Master Hunter

But this position is not at all intended for prayer. At this time he is preparing for the hunt. This is such a bloodthirsty creature that it is ready, in this outwardly submissive pose, to grab any insect running nearby.

It is this constant readiness to attack that makes the predator hold its front legs like a trap. On their inner part there are sharp serrations that tenaciously hold prey.

This is the only insect that can turn its head back. A fly, wasp, mosquito or butterfly gapes, and he’s right there. Lightning quickly grabs them into its trap paws and then slowly eats them.

Females are not afraid to grab prey much larger than themselves - frogs, lizards and even rodents!

Features of reproduction

In general, females are very aggressive, especially during the mating season. They even attack each other. The loser becomes food for the winner.

At first, the male is of interest to her only as prey. But driven by instinct, he tries in every possible way to attract her attention. To do this, the mantis performs a kind of dance in front of the female, which then ends in death for him.

The great need for protein for the formation of eggs forces the female to eat even the male. This sometimes happens right during mating - she bites off her partner’s head. But more often he does this afterwards, eating it whole.

The female lays eggs in special capsules of a protein solidified substance called ootheca. From 10 to 400 eggs lie in rows in it. Ootheca is very durable and can withstand even frosts. In some areas, the eggs remain there all winter.

Praying mantises: benefits and harms

Praying mantises provide great help to humans by destroying large quantities crop pests. In the USA and Asian countries they are kept at home to control flies. Mantis catchers often collect oothecae and sell them to farmers, as biological weapons against harmful insects. The praying mantises living in the gardens will not allow uninvited guests to breed.

Type: Arthropods

Class: Insects

Squad: Cockroaches

Suborder: Praying Mantis

Family: Real praying mantises

Subfamily: Mantinae

Tribe: Mantini

Genus: Praying Mantises

View: Common praying mantis (Mantisreligiosa)

Description of the species

The scientific name of the species in Latin is Mantisreligiosa. The word mantis is translated “priest”, “prophet”, religiosa - “religious”. Carl Linnaeus did not choose the name by chance; when waiting for prey, the common mantis or the religious mantis folds its shins into the groove of its thighs. His pose resembles a man frozen in prayer.

The common praying mantis (Mantisreligiosa) belongs to the order Praying Mantis, which includes 2,800 species. The insect's body is narrow and elongated. Males grow up to 43-52 mm, females are much larger - 50-75 mm. Anatomical feature praying mantises is the structure of the forelimbs. Grasping legs with spiny elongated femurs and tibiae are designed for holding prey. The thigh and lower leg in a ligament function on the principle of scissors. WITH inside On the coxae of the forelimbs there is a dark spot with a white mark in the middle.

Despite the fact that females are larger than males, males have longer antennae and larger eyes.

The head is triangular, mobile, the insect is able to look back. On the sides there are large, convex compound eyes. In European mantises they have a black pupil. On the forehead there are long thread-like antennae and three simple ocelli. The mouthparts of the gnawing type are directed downwards. The common mantis has two pairs of well-developed wings. Light males and young females are capable of flying over considerable distances.

The forewings are narrow and leathery, they replace the elytra. The hind wings are wide, and when at rest they are folded on the back like a fan. The pronotum expands in the upper part, but never covers the head. The abdomen is elongated, soft, consists of 10 segments. On the last segment there are appendages - cerci. There are 10 pairs of spiracles on the sides of the body.

Color and camouflage

The color type of the common mantis is protective. Body color can be green (in 80% of cases), yellow, light or dark brown. Camouflage coloring allows you to blend in with the environment. When the insect is motionless, it completely mimics foliage or a twig. Camouflage serves two functions: it allows you to hunt from ambush and hide from enemies.

Some praying mantises have stunningly complex and effective camouflage patterns that rival any other animal. Some can blend in so well with trees and leaves that they are almost impossible to notice. They even sway, as if leaves and twigs were being shaken by a light breeze. Some of the most fantastic camouflages are those of the violin mantis from India and the orchid mantis from Malaysia. They are lilac-violet or hot pink with splashes of just the right shade of green and strategically placed dark areas, and can bend their abdomen so that it appears exact copy parts of a flower. Even experts can mistake them for a flower.

When attacked by an enemy, the mantis opens its wings to increase in size. It sways from side to side and raises its front legs and the edge of its abdomen threateningly. All actions are aimed at scaring away the aggressor. If the enemy is too large, the mantis flies away.

Spreading

Widely distributed in the southern regions of Europe, reaching north to 54° northern latitude; Front and Central Asia, Kazakhstan, North Africa, in the south of the African continent it reaches the Transvaal and the Cape Land (South Africa). Thanks to man, it went far beyond its range, as it was brought by merchant ships to North America and Australia. In Russia, distributed in the European part (south of 50 - 54° N), in the Caucasus, in steppe zone southern Urals, in the south of Siberia and the Far East.

Types of praying mantises

There are more than 2,000 species of praying mantises.

Below is a description of several varieties:

• Common praying mantis (lat. Mantis religiosa) lives in most countries of Europe, Asia and Africa. Its distribution area includes Portugal and Spain, Italy and France, Turkey, Germany, Austria and Poland, as well as numerous islands Mediterranean Sea. This species is found in Sudan and Egypt, in Israel and Iran, as well as in Russia, from the southern regions to the Primorsky Territory. Introduced populations have been recorded in Australia and North America. Distinctive feature This species is a black spot, which is located on both coxae of the front pair of legs on the inside. Often a light mark is visible in the center of such a spot.

• Chinese mantis (Chinese bowing mantis) (lat. Tenodera aridifolia, Tenodera sinensis) is an endemic species that natural conditions distributed throughout China. Adult female praying mantises reach 15 cm in length; males are much more modest in size. The color of these insects does not depend on gender and can be green or brown. Nymphs and juveniles lack wings. Chinese mantises acquire the ability to fly only after several molts.

• Praying mantis Creobroter meleagris widespread in Bhutan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos, Pakistan and other countries in the South Asian region. Adults can reach 5 centimeters in length. The main body color of the praying mantis is cream or white. Light brown stripes of varying widths run throughout the body, head and paws. The elytra and pronotum are colored olive-green.

• Praying mantis Creobroter gemmatus, which is also called Indian flower mantis, is a typical inhabitant rain forests India, Vietnam and other South Asian countries. Mature males of this species of mantis reach a length of 38 mm, females are larger and grow up to 40 mm. The body of the insect is elongated, and the width of the pronotum is noticeably less than its length. There are several spikes of different heights on the hips. The body is colored cream with brown or greenish spots.

• Praying mantis Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii lives in areas with hot and humid climate. Other unofficial names for this insect are spiky or spiny flower mantis. This species lives in the countries of southern and eastern Africa: Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, as well as Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion. The size of adults is quite modest. The length of females does not exceed 40 mm, and males – 30 mm. The coloring of these mantises is heterogeneous - it combines white, cream, pinkish, yellow and green tones.

• Orchid mantis (lat. Hymenopus coronatus) distributed in tropical forests India, Malaysia and Indonesia. This insect is considered one of the most beautiful representatives of the order. Got its name from external resemblance with orchid flowers, on which he hides in anticipation of his prey. A sexually mature female praying mantis has quite impressive dimensions and grows up to 80 mm in length. The size of males is much more modest and does not exceed 40 mm. Distinctive feature this species has wide forelimbs, head small size and filamentous antennae.

• Praying Mantis Idolomantisdiabolica, which is also called Damn flower or Devil's flower lives in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and other countries East Africa, where it lives on the branches of bushes and trees. Adult mantises of this species are quite large in size. Females can reach a length of 14 cm with a wingspan of about 16 cm. Male mantises are slightly smaller in size than females and rarely exceed 11 cm in length. The color of these insects can vary from various shades of green to light brown. The spines located on the thighs of the front legs have different lengths. Three shorter ones are visible between the long spines.

• Eastern heterochaeta (lat. Heterochaeta orientalis), which also has unofficial name spike-eyed mantis, lives in most African countries. The female mantis reaches 15 cm in length. Males are smaller in size and grow up to 12 cm. Due to the fact that these insects live in the branches of bushes, their appearance has unusual features that make them resemble twigs or twigs. In addition, these African mantises have spines located not only on the thighs and shins of the forelimbs, but also along the upper edges of the head, which is shaped like a triangle. This gives the impression that the insect's eyes are wrapped around these spines.

• Praying mantis Empusa pennata- a species from the genus Empusa, which is distributed throughout almost the entire territory of Africa, in most Asian countries, as well as in Portugal, Spain and Andorra, Monaco, Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus. A distinctive feature of the praying mantis is a peculiar high growth on its head, resembling a kind of crown in shape. Males have comb-type antennae, and the head is crowned with additional spines that look like feathers. The color of the praying mantis depends on environment and is subject to change. These insects are characterized by green, yellow or pink colors, as well as various shades of brown.

• Phyllocrania praying mantisparadoxa lives in rather arid regions of Africa, located south of the Sahara Desert, as well as on the island of Madagascar, where it lives in the branches of bushes and trees. Thanks to its peculiar body shape, reminiscent of a plant leaf, it can easily hide from natural enemies and successfully hunt small insects. This camouflage is provided by special outgrowths on the body and head of the mantis.

• Mantis Metallyticussplendidus lives in India, Malaysia, Sumatra and other countries South-East Asia. Hunts for prey in the branches of trees or shrubs, as well as under tree bark. Mature male mantises can reach a length of about 2 cm. Females are slightly larger and grow up to 3 cm in length. The body of these insects is slightly flattened from the back to the abdomen.

• Praying Mantis Amelesspallanziania widespread in Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Portugal, Spain, Italy, San Marino, and Greece. The habitat of this species also includes Cyprus, Malta and other countries of Southern Europe and North Africa. The size of these insects is quite modest, with the length of males rarely exceeding 1 cm, and females can reach a length of 3 cm. You can also distinguish a male from a female by the presence of wings.

• Mantis Blepharopsismendica, which also has an unofficial name thistle mantis, found in Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen and other countries in North Africa and southwestern Asia. These insects live in desert as well as mountainous areas. Males are slightly smaller in size than females, which can reach a length of 5.2-6.1 cm. In addition, the antennae of males have a comb structure.

• Praying mantis Rhombodera basalis lives in tropical zone Malaysia, Thailand and India. Adult females can grow up to 8-9 cm in length, males are slightly smaller. Characteristic feature The mantis is a slightly enlarged pronotum, resembling a diamond shape. The body and wing covers of the insect are colored turquoise-green with a blue tint.

• Sarawak mantis / Hestiasula sarawaka. The Saravar mantis, which lives on the island of Kalimantan, in addition to its frightening defensive pose, makes specific sounds. In this mantis, all parts of the body visible from above at rest are gray or brown in color. When irritated, the insect spreads its front legs and moves both pairs of wings to the side.

• Malaysian leaf-shaped mantis (lat. Deroplatys dessicata) widespread both in the tropical forests of Malaysia or Indonesia, and in the humid thickets of Sumatra and Borneo. Female Malaysian leaf mantises are much larger in size than males. Their length can reach 15 cm, while males grow to a maximum of 6 cm. This species has good camouflage abilities due to the special shape of the head and body, which give it a resemblance to withered foliage.

• Mantis Deroplatys lobata lives in wet forests Malaysia, as well as in tropical thickets on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Prefers to hunt in the foliage of trees or small shrubs, as well as in their upturned roots. By appearance these insects strongly resemble withered leaves, which serves them not only as an excellent camouflage that protects them from enemies, but also helps them hide and wait for prey.

• Praying mantis Aethalochroa insignis lives in India. This is very large insect, the length of which is 15-20 cm, including antennae. The praying mantis' excellent camouflage makes it look like a dry blade of grass.

Lifestyle

The praying mantis lives and hunts like a typical ambush hunter. The predator freezes until the prey is within reach. It grabs prey with its front legs and starts eating from the head. Males are careful in choosing hunting objects; they attack flies, locusts and other small insects. Large females often attack victims almost equal in size to them. Aggressive individuals attack lizards, birds, and frogs. They jump on the reptile's back and bite its head. The fight continues for several minutes, in the process the hunter can become the victim. If the outcome is successful, the prey is eaten within 2-3 hours. The female remains well fed for up to 4-5 days.

You can meet Mantisreligiosa in the forest, steppe herbs, and meadows. Insects do not even avoid large cities, where they have adapted to live in grass, parks and gardens. Favorite places habitat of the common mantis tall trees and bush. Insects prefer sedentary image life. They do not leave their usual territory, they move between tiers. For movement, four limbs are used, less often wings.

Given enough food, they spend their entire lives on one plant. Insects have excellent vision; they detect the slightest movement in the environment. Camouflage coloring allows you to get closer to your prey unnoticed. Hunting takes place in daytime. All soft tissues of the prey are eaten, leaving chitinous legs and wings. How long a common mantis lives depends on the amount of food and gender. The age of females is longer; on average, representatives of the species are natural conditions live 2-3 months. In captivity, the life expectancy of insects increases several times and is 12-13 months.

Nutrition

Praying mantises are predatory insects. They catch their victims with strong front legs covered with sharp spines. The praying mantis, waiting for prey with its front legs “humbly” folded, slightly resembles a person praying - hence the name of the insects. Female praying mantises are larger, more voracious and more aggressive than males. Males feed mainly on small insects, and huge females often attack even such relatively large animals as lizards, frogs and birds.

Reproduction

People have repeatedly observed how they kill and eat their partners during or after mating. In fact, in most cases, insect mating occurs normally. And if the female eats the male, she does it “out of forgetfulness,” mistaking him for an opportune victim. The fact is that when a female develops eggs, her body requires additional amounts of protein and at this time she becomes especially voracious.

Before mating, the male praying mantis performs an intricate dance in front of the female and sends her an odorous signal, releasing special substances into the air. This helps him somehow protect his life: otherwise the female would probably take him for a tasty prey.

After mating, the female praying mantis lays several dozen eggs. But before that, she builds special “bags” for them from foamy protein material – ootheca. Foamy liquid is produced by special glands in the abdomen of the insect. First, the female attaches a ball of foam to a tree branch. While the foam is wet and soft, it creates several small chambers (recesses) in it and lays one egg in each chamber. After some time, the foam hardens in air and turns into a durable material reminiscent of polystyrene. Ootecae protect eggs from adverse external influences: they can withstand freezing temperatures and are not destroyed by pesticides.

The mantis larvae (nymphs) hatching from the eggs are selected from the ootheca through a single hole at its apex. Praying mantis larvae are very similar to adult insects, but lack wings. The nymphs of some mantises live in nests and disguise themselves as ants.

Enemies of Mantises

When attacked by an enemy (snakes, birds, bat or a chameleon) or when meeting with a fellow rival, the praying mantises try to scare the enemy. They take a rather intimidating pose, spreading their wings like a fan, putting their front grasping legs forward and lifting the end of their abdomen up. This pose can be accompanied by threatening sounds. For example, the Sarawak mantis (lat. Hestiasula sarawaka) rustles its wings loudly and makes a clicking noise created by the contact of the upper part of the forelimb with the thigh. If the enemy turns out to be much stronger, the mantis prefers to retreat and flies away, however, seeing its advantage, it bravely confronts the enemy and often emerges victorious in such a fight.

Mantis and man

For example, it is widely believed that praying mantises only kill “harmful” insects, but this is not true. Praying mantises are equally eager to feast on, for example, honey bees and garden pests.

There are about 1,800 species of praying mantises. Two species are widespread in the United States - the introduced Chinese mantis, 8–13 cm long, and the native Carolina mantis, reaching 5 cm in length. Scientists disagree on how to classify the insect family Mantidae. Some group them with other insects in a squad Dictyoptera. Others place them in a separate detachment - Mantodea.

Evolutionists claim that praying mantises evolved from the same ancestor as cockroaches, but this is based on belief rather than observable and verifiable evidence.

Once the obligatory tribute to evolution has been paid, most scientists marvel at the amazing design of the praying mantis. For example, in reference to the lightning speed and strong muscles of the praying mantis's front legs, the researchers use words such as "superbly equipped," "sophisticated," and that "their front legs are amazingly designed."

In the USA, they are used to a limited extent in gardens for growing organic fruits. In general, the condition of this group of insects is good. Species such as spotted iris, striped empusa and short-winged bolivaria are included in the regional Red Books.

Keeping praying mantises at home

Terrarium

It would be a very exotic and unusual act to get yourself a pet praying mantis, wouldn’t it? However, there are people who have such “pets” and if you also want to join them, then the first thing you will have to take care of is the terrarium. A relatively small glass or plastic terrarium with a mesh lid is suitable; its dimensions should be at least three times the size of the mantis itself. Inside it would be nice to place twigs or small plants on which the praying mantis will climb like trees.

Temperature

Praying mantises are heat-loving insects, so optimal temperature for them it will be from +23 to +30 C. You can use special heaters for terrariums.

Humidity

Also, do not forget about humidity, which is also important for these insects. The optimal humidity for praying mantises is 40-60%, and to maintain it, you can place a small container of water inside the terrarium.

What to feed praying mantises at home?

Live food. Crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches, and flies are perfect. Some species of praying mantises will not mind eating ants. And at the same time, they need to be fed regularly, so keeping such “pets” can be somewhat troublesome. But you don’t need to give praying mantises water, since they get the liquid the body needs from food.

Mantises are large predatory insects with an elongated body, a triangular head, and forelimbs designed for grasping and holding prey. They resemble sinister space aliens, although they are ordinary natives of planet Earth. The question of what a praying mantis looks like is becoming less and less relevant. In order to go catching a specimen for your entomological collection, this knowledge will soon no longer be required. The common praying mantis is growing in Russia rare species due to the plowing of the steppes, which are its main habitat. It is listed in the Red Book of some Russian regions.

Are praying mantises found in Russia?

The most common insect species in Europe is " common mantis" This species is also found in Russia, because borders do not matter for the distribution of insects. Going for a walk in the steppe areas there is a chance to spot one of its species. However, civilization is increasingly disrupting the habitual way of life of these insects. It is possible to see a praying mantis even on the asphalt in the middle of the city or on your own windowsill. Of course, the further north you go, the less likely it is to encounter such an insect, since it thrives only in arid, hot climates.

Where do praying mantises live in Russia?

The praying mantis lives in the southern part middle zone Russia. It can be seen in Crimea and the Caucasus. The praying mantis settles both in steppe grass and on tree branches. If there is enough food around, it can stay in one place throughout its life. The praying mantis lives everywhere in Russia, except that you rarely see it in the northern regions. Only rare individuals are found there. What types of insects are known and what areas are their predominant habitat:

Because of large sizes insect, mantis is easy to catch. He will focus on creative assignments in biology for Russian schoolchildren. The insect is kept in a jar with ventilation holes in the lid. They feed them flies and larvae. The food must be alive: the insect is used to hunting and will not eat carrion. It is better not to put praying mantises in one container: the stronger individual will destroy the weaker one in the struggle for living space. Thus, every inquisitive schoolchild knows whether various praying mantises are found in Russia.

Despite the fact that mantises are accustomed to living in trees or among steppe grass, some species are able to adapt to new urban living conditions. After all, without the ability to adapt to changes, an insect will not be able to continue its species, and who knows, perhaps in the near future, the praying mantis will become as common a creature as a fly for residents of megacities.

1. After mating, the male ribbon snake seals the female's genital opening with secretions from his kidneys. This seal serves as a kind of “chastity belt,” preventing mating from other males and guaranteeing fertilization by the first male to approach the female.

2. A male of Darwin's rhinoderma, a frog that lives along south coast Chili - after fertilization of the eggs, swallows them and keeps them in his vocal sac. When the tadpoles grow, he opens his mouth and releases them out.

3. The seahorse is the only animal species whose males become pregnant and give birth. During the breeding season, the female seahorse swims up to the male and, using a nipple-like appendage, inserts the eggs into a special pouch-like chamber on the male's abdomen. The male then fertilizes them and carries the small seahorses on his belly for some time.

4. In Mozambican catfish, the fertilization process occurs in the female's mouth. After laying the eggs, she turns to swallow them. Then a male swims up to her, the spots on his anal fin are very similar to eggs. The female, confused, opens her mouth to swallow these eggs, and then the male releases sperm, fertilizing the eggs already in the female’s mouth. There the fry develop until they grow up. Even after small fish begin to look for food on their own, at the slightest danger they rush to a safe shelter - the mouth of their mother.

5. Female bed bugs do not have a mating hole, and males have to drill it themselves using their curved and sharp penis. Then he injects sperm into the female, which (if there is a lack of blood) the female sometimes also feeds on.

6. During mating, the female praying mantis eats her partner. While copulation lasts, the larger female holds the male with her front paws and begins to devour his head. The male's sexual desire is so great that he does not stop mating, even when he is in danger. Some scientists believe that the act of eating even increases the male's sexual desire.

7. The male acarymorph mite is born as a fully formed insect and helps its mother during childbirth, acting like a midwife. With his hind legs he grabs his sisters emerging from the genital opening and pulls them out. What's even stranger is that he copulates with them and remains nearby, ready to come to his mother's aid again at any moment.

8. The legs of a male water mite sometimes serve as additional genital organs for him to penetrate the female. During mating, he presses the female to the ground so tightly with tiny hooks that she can barely move. At the same time, he also sticks to her with the help of a special substance, so that she can no longer get away from him.

9. The marsh marsupial mouse is an Australian marsupial similar to ordinary mice, the only one among all mammals that dies after mating. During the breeding season, males are exclusively occupied with mating until they literally drop dead. Most of them die of hunger because they do not find time to look for food or absorb it.

10. The male tick does not have a genital organ, and he inserts his nose into the female's genital opening. Having widened it enough, he turns his backside and releases sperm from his rear hole. Then he turns around again and again pushes the sperm deeper with his nose.