Although the praying mantis is a ferocious creature, its "reign of terror" is short-lived. On the one hand, males have a poor life expectancy as they can be eaten after having sex. We have also seen that the hatchlings will eat each other during their first days of life when survival is difficult . But even if a mantis (probably a female) survives all these obstacles, its lifespan is about a year. In short, between 6 months and 1 year.
In their adult phase, mantises are of different size depending on their species. Female mantises can be distinguished from males because they have a heavier abdomen. In addition to small insects, mantises feed on small nesting birds, mice, lizards, and tree frogs. The female mantis usually dies after laying eggs.
The German entomologist Hermann Burmeister coined the name Mantodea (the order to which the mantis belongs) in 1838.
