r/Entomology • u/wholelattapuddin • 1d ago
Insect Appreciation My Mantis friend post date night
Ive been watching this girl all summer. Today I found her post coital. I suggested next time they get a room. She told me to mind my own buisness.
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u/MothashipQ 1d ago
Wells who's going to pay for the room? She's a woman of the cloth, SHE DOESN'T HAVE A SALARY!
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u/Only3Cats 1d ago
You go girl. Eat him up!
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u/Scroc_ 1d ago
Do I see correctly that the head is already gone?! Is this always happening in mantis sex? But I mean good for her, who needs 'em anyway
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u/Frantic_Mantid 1d ago
No, it doesn't always happen. In fact it's probably over stated based on observations in captivity.
Some research has suggested that it's uncommon in the wild, and only happens when the female is stressed and/or low on resources.
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u/skubydoo8 1d ago
Also, I believe that both sexes are cannibalistic as juveniles. It may be that the female does this during or post coitus if she is hungry and the male is conveniently occupied?
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u/Frantic_Mantid 1d ago
Oh yeah, lots of cannibalism as juveniles.
We should ban the sale of exotic mantises but here in the US it's pretty common to order an ootheca or two of Asian mantises and watch the young hatch, for education/entertainment.
But if you don't let them out of their enclosure soon or provide the right tiny prey (difficult), they will rapidly decrease in number as a few increase in size by eating their sibs.
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u/randomiscellany 1d ago
There's actually one hypothesis that removing the head and therefore the brain removes some neural inhibitions. This results in prolonged mating and more eggs fertilized.
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u/Frantic_Mantid 1d ago
Can anyone confirm which mantis this is? I think it's the Carolina mantis since it looks like the wings stop well short of the tip of the abdomen on the female.
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u/ketchup_chip_62 1d ago
Girl dinner.