The name "Praying mantis" refers to the lifted fore-limbs when the mantis lies in wait for its prey, since the position is similar to that of a person in prayer. But "this pious behaviour" as the zoological encyclopedia Brehm's Tierleben calls it, stands "in strange contrast to the mantises' insatiable rapaciousness and lust to kill". Their prey are various insects, which they lurk on motionlessly until the moment when they grip their catch in the wink of an eye and then devour it. The mantis doesn't even stop at eating its own species. During mating, the males are in danger of being grasped by the thorny front limbs resembling clasp knives and then being devoured by their mates. In other cases, it is not unusual that the male serves as a snack for the female after having mated.
Although the European mantis belongs to the group of insects capable of flight, only the males are able to fly. They are considerably smaller and more delicate than the females, who in turn can measure up to 7.5 cm. The female lays several hundred eggs into a quickly hardening foamy substance. The larvae hibernate in these cocoons, which tolerate temperatures of - 43ºC. They usually hatch in May and develop into mature adults by July or August.
The most important sensory organs of the mantis are its compound eyes, which are set widely apart. This position enables it to see stereoscopically and - in coordination with the high mobility of the head - gives the mantis an excellent overview of its surroundings.
The Praying mantis lives in warm and dry areas abundant in shrubs and bushes. In Central Europe it is very common south of the 46th latitude, whereas it appears only in particularly suitable locations north of this geographic line. In Germany these include the Upper Rhine Valley and the Saarland, but meanwhile sightings of mantis have also been reported from Hesse.
