# Praying Mantis — Facts, Threats & Conservation *Order Mantodea — roughly 2,400 described species in about 460 genera* > Praying mantises are ambush-predator insects of the order Mantodea — about 2,400 species — with stereoscopic 3D vision, a head that rotates roughly 180 degrees, and spined forelegs that snap shut on prey in around 50–70 milliseconds. **IUCN status:** Order page — most species unassessed; a few narrow-range species are threatened · **WARN range:** Tropical and temperate regions worldwide, Richest in the tropics; several species widely traded as pets ## Quick facts | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Described species | ~2,400 | | Vision | True stereoscopic 3D — unique among insects | | Strike speed | ~50–70 milliseconds | | Hearing | Single mid-thoracic ear tuned to bat ultrasound | | Development | Incomplete metamorphosis — no pupal stage | | Eggs | Laid in a hardened foam case (ootheca) | ## Scientific classification - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Superorder:** Dictyoptera - **Order:** Mantodea - **Families:** 29 families, including Mantidae and Hymenopodidae ## Conservation status - **Status:** Varies by species — order page - **Population:** Not applicable at order level - **Trend:** Unknown for most species; narrow-range tropical species vulnerable to habitat loss - **Assessed:** Assessed species-by-species; the great majority are unassessed - **CITES:** Not listed - Most mantis species have never been formally assessed. Habitat loss is the main pressure on narrow-range tropical species; the pet trade is largely supplied by captive breeding. ## Key facts: Praying Mantis - Mantises are the only insects with true stereoscopic vision, used to judge striking distance. - The strike takes around 50–70 milliseconds — too fast to follow by eye. - Many species have a single ultrasound-sensitive ear in the middle of the thorax to detect hunting bats. - Sexual cannibalism is real but far from universal and is much commoner in captivity than in the wild. - Females lay eggs in a foam case (ootheca) that hardens to protect them over winter. - Mantises are generalist predators — they eat pest and beneficial insects alike, so they are poor targeted pest control. ## Built to ambush A mantis hunts by staying still. Camouflage does most of the work — species mimic leaves, twigs, bark, lichen and, in the orchid mantis, flowers convincingly enough to attract pollinators directly to the predator. When prey moves into range, the mantis judges distance with stereoscopic vision and strikes. The forelegs are femur-and-tibia traps lined with spines that interlock as they close. Because the strike outruns most escape reflexes, capture rates are high. Mantises take insects, spiders and, in larger species, occasionally small vertebrates such as lizards and hummingbirds. ## Senses: 3D vision and a bat detector Mantis stereopsis works differently from ours. Experiments using tiny prisms over mantis eyes showed the insects track relative motion between the two eyes' images rather than matching static detail — a computationally cheaper form of depth perception that works on moving prey. Many species also carry a single tympanal ear in a groove on the underside of the thorax, tuned to the ultrasonic frequencies of hunting bats. A mantis that hears a bat mid-flight goes into a steep spiral dive. Having one ear rather than two means it can detect a bat but not locate it — enough to trigger evasion. ## Reproduction and the cannibalism story Sexual cannibalism happens: a female may seize and eat the male before, during or after mating, and there is evidence that the nutrition gained can increase egg production. But its frequency is routinely exaggerated. Field estimates vary widely by species and condition, and rates are far higher in small captive enclosures where the male cannot retreat. Females lay eggs in a frothy secretion that hardens into an ootheca, a protective case attached to a stem, wall or bark, holding tens to hundreds of eggs. Nymphs emerge looking like miniature adults and grow through successive moults without a pupal stage — incomplete metamorphosis. ## Mantises in the pet trade and the garden Mantises are among the most commonly kept invertebrate pets, and captive breeding is well established for popular species. Welfare basics are unglamorous but decisive: correct temperature and humidity for the species, enough vertical height to hang and moult (a mantis that cannot hang freely will moult badly and may die), appropriately sized live prey, and no cohousing of species that will eat each other. In the garden, mantises are sometimes sold as biological pest control. They are not selective. A mantis eats whatever it can catch, including bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects, so it is a poor tool for targeted control — though a welcome sign of a garden with enough insect life to support a top invertebrate predator. ## What WARN does WARN publishes free, sourced species education including the welfare needs of animals kept in captivity. Invertebrate pets are widely sold with almost no husbandry guidance, and simple facts — such as a mantis needing vertical space to moult safely — prevent a large share of avoidable deaths. If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries. ## Frequently asked questions: Praying Mantis ### Do female praying mantises always eat the male? No. Sexual cannibalism occurs in a number of species and can boost egg production, but it is far from universal. Reported rates vary widely between species and situations, and are much higher in small captive enclosures, where the male has no room to escape, than in the wild. ### Can a praying mantis really turn its head all the way round? It can rotate its head roughly 180 degrees — a flexible neck joint that is very unusual among insects — but not a full circle. This lets it scan for prey and predators without moving its body and breaking its camouflage. ### Do praying mantises have good eyesight? Yes, exceptionally so for an insect. Mantises are the only insects known to have true stereoscopic vision, giving them genuine depth perception. Their version works by tracking motion differences between the two eyes rather than matching static detail. ### Are praying mantises dangerous to humans? No. They have no venom and no sting. A large mantis can deliver a startling pinch with its spined forelegs if handled roughly, but it cannot meaningfully injure a person. ### What do praying mantises eat? Sexual cannibalism happens: a female may seize and eat the male before, during or after mating, and there is evidence that the nutrition gained can increase egg production. Praying mantises are ambush-predator insects of the order Mantodea — about 2,400 species — with stereoscopic 3D vision, a head that rotates roughly 180 degrees, and spined forelegs that snap shut on prey in around 50–70 milliseconds. ### Are praying mantises good for pest control? Not in a targeted way. Mantises are generalist ambush predators that eat beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies as readily as pests, and they do not stay where they are released. They are a good indicator of a garden rich in insect life rather than a control method. ### Where do praying mantis / mantids live? Praying Mantis / Mantids live in Tropical and temperate regions worldwide, Richest in the tropics; several species widely traded as pets. Praying mantises are ambush-predator insects of the order Mantodea — about 2,400 species — with stereoscopic 3D vision, a head that rotates roughly 180 degrees, and spined forelegs that snap shut on prey in around 50–70 milliseconds. ### How long do praying mantis / mantids live? A precise wild lifespan for praying mantis / mantids is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. Praying mantises are ambush-predator insects of the order Mantodea — about 2,400 species — with stereoscopic 3D vision, a head that rotates roughly 180 degrees, and spined forelegs that snap shut on prey in around 50–70 milliseconds. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive. ### How big is a praying mantis / mantid? Praying mantises are ambush-predator insects of the order Mantodea — about 2,400 species — with stereoscopic 3D vision, a head that rotates roughly 180 degrees, and spined forelegs that snap shut on prey in around 50–70 milliseconds. ## Sources - [IUCN Red List](https://www.iucnredlist.org/) - [GBIF — Mantodea](https://www.gbif.org/species/1458) --- Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/praying-mantis