The most beautiful praying mantises

To date, the world fauna has more than 2000 species of praying mantis. These large and medium tropical and subtropical insects get their name from the praying posture they adopt while hunting. It is worth noting that praying mantises are excellent hunters. They capture prey, sometimes larger than their own size, with their fragile-looking but powerful paws. Cannibalism is also practiced among female praying mantises. They eat males during mating.

Praying mantises are masters of disguise. For example, the orchid mantis lives on orchid flowers and has a shape and body color similar to the flowers of the plant. In general, the appearance of praying mantises is strikingly different depending on the species. The most beautiful of them are presented below.

(Total 19 photos)

9th place. African praying mantis

1. Habitat - Africa. (John B Wilson)

2. African praying mantis. (Bill & Mark Bell)

8th place. African branch mantis

3. African branch praying mantis. (Steve Smith)

7th place. Mantis Choeradodis rhomboidea

4. Habitat - Central America. (Andreas Kay)

5. Mantis Choeradodis rhomboidea. (Andreas Kay)

6th place. Mantis Phyllocrania paradoxa

6. Representative of the family Metallyticidae. (Steve Smith)

7. Habitat - Madagascar. (Frupus)

5th place. Devil's flower

8. Representative of the family Empusidae. (Steve Smith)

9. Habitat - East Africa. (Steve Smith)

10. Color - from light brown to green. (Steve Smith)

4th place. Mantis Deroplatys Lobata

11. Habitat - Java, Sumatra and Borneo. (Bernard DuPont)

12. Mantis Deroplatys Lobata. (Bernard DuPont)

3rd place. Mantis Blepharopsis mendica

13. Habitat - North Africa, Asia Minor. (David Marquina Reyes)

2nd place. Spiked flower mantis

14. Representative of the Hymenopodidae family. (Frupus)

15. Habitat - South and East Africa. (Frupus)

16. Spiked flower mantis. (Frupus)

1 place. orchid mantis

17. Representative of the genus Hymenopus. (Frupus)

18. Habitat - India and Indonesia. (Frupus)

19. Orchid praying mantis is able to change color from white to pink. (Luc Viatou)