A lot of rumors are popular about praying mantises, such as are praying mantis endangered. Praying mantis is a carnivore creature with the scientific name of Mantisa religiosa. A group of people believes it to be dangerous? Rumors are there that it is on the verge of getting extinct. Some people say that these are pests.
A lot of people believe in this rumor which has been circulating for so many decades, that it is illegal to kill a praying mantis and that you will have to pay the penalty if you spot and kill a praying mantis. Now, what is truth? Let’s explain this in this article.
The praying mantis is an insect of the arthropods family of animals. It has prominent front legs, which are bent and held at an angle that gives it a praying form and an unusual posture from the rest of the insects. This is why it is named a praying mantis, as these are pretty graceful insects. The praying mantis is a graceful and unique insect of nature. Praying mantises are excellent insects to have in your garden to protect against unwanted harmful bugs.
But have you ever heard the rumors like you can be fined because of hurting a praying mantis? Can you get arrested for killing one? Are praying mantis endangered? Aren’t they? This and many more of your frequently asked questions have been explained in detail in this article.
Are Praying Mantis Going Extinct?
More than 2000 species of praying mantises are found all over the globe. And, none of these more than 2000 species are considered to be endangered, likely to extinct out in the near future or become endangered.
So, the answer to this question ‘are praying mantis endangered’ varies from one country to another. For example, there are countries where almost all the species of praying mantis are under a protected status.
However, in NY, they are not protected by state or federal laws, so they do not come to the list of endangered species. Instead, praying mantises are beneficial insects to have in your garden to protect the flowers and plants from harmful insects. The same is the case in North America, where none of the species come under the Protected status and, thus, are not endangered.
Origin Of The Myth That Praying Mantis Are Endangered
This myth of ‘are praying mantis endangered’ is said to be originated in the 1950s when this myth was circulated for the very first time. Interestingly, no state or federal law on the books ever prohibited killing a praying mantis. Praying mantis play a very important role in the ecosystem as they eat those bugs, the bad ones which can become pests too.
A lot of people believe that the rumor “praying mantis are endangered” might have been originated in order to prevent homeowners from needlessly killing these insects, which play a vital role in reducing the number of less-pleasant bugs which were traditionally considered to be pests. Many gardeners even wish that they had more praying mantises in their gardens so that the need for pesticides use could be reduced. Moreover, they also help crops to thrive as a result. Another fact about praying mantis is that a mantis will eat all bugs, not just the bad ones, which can be harmful to your fruits and vegetables.
Is It Illegal To Kill Praying Mantis?
As far as this question of praying mantis killing is illegal, the answer is no. All of these myths started circulating back in the 1950s. It is not illegal to kill a praying mantis, and you really shouldn’t kill one unless there’s a huge infestation of them in your yard. You should take pictures of these green ninjas instead as they are amazing creatures of nature.
Are Praying Mantis Pests?
Praying mantis are known to have a big appetite.
They, indeed, are a hungry bunch of insets, and thus, they eat a giant range of different pests, including the following :
- Flies
- Roaches
- Moths
- Mosquitoes
- Small Rodents
- Aphids
- Snakes
- Birds
While a praying mantis looks like an alien from a sci-fi movie, in reality, it is an amazing insect to add to a garden when other pests are being problematic. The praying mantis has great reflexive that it can catch annoying flies very easily. If other insects are being problematic and destroying your garden, a praying mantis is an effective exterminator. If you are still unsure about the question “are praying mantis endangered?” then no, they are not.
This is something that makes praying mantis a great type of organic pest control. Because this family of insects will go after a ton of different types of harmful pests, they can act as an effective form of organic pest control. So now we know Praying Mantises are largely good types of pests (in fact, calling praying mantises pests at all may be a stretch).
What Are Praying Mantis?
Praying mantises are insects from the category of carnivores. They mainly eat insects and the rest of the small animals out there. Many gardeners as well as farmers welcome praying mantis and even try so many of the ways to attract them. The reason behind this is that the insects they eat are often pests that harm the crops. Not only the insects such as grasshoppers and crickets, praying mantids often eat spiders, frogs, lizards, and even the small birds near them.
How Many Species Of Praying Mantis Are There?
The species of mantis is huge. As with most insect species, the mantis species is huge. So many species of praying mantis have been found. The praying mantis (with the scientific name of Mantis religiosa) is part of the Mantidae family of insects.
There are more than 2400 species of praying mantises, and there are also around 15 families of them. There are almost 17 insect species of praying mantis found only in North America, and all but one belong to the Mantidae family of insects. Larger mantises are very territorial and possessive of their territories. They are a deadly predator to any unwanted bugs or insects in your yard. Now you know that the species list of a praying mantis is huge. Are praying mantis endangered? No, they are not.
Is Praying Mantis Dangerous?
Just like so many of the other rumors being circulated about praying mantis, this is another one that says that the praying mantis is a dangerous type of insect. However, even this rumor is also not very true.
Praying mantises are most of the time regarded to be the destructive ones by experts because they can and do kill honeybees too, but gardeners think differently. They believe that the praying mantis family of insects is pretty beneficial for their crops because they eat other insects, especially the harmful ones, such as grasshoppers and earwigs. This is a nondestructive insect that might be helping more than you can ever realize.
Why Does The Female Praying Mantis Eat The Male?
The mating behavior of praying mantis is widely known. The bigger adult female first devours the male after, or sometimes even during, the mating process, for some Nutritional purposes. This behavior does not really seem to deter males from reproduction. It, rather, makes praying mantis males wary of the female’s size and strength at times.
Scientists have made studies and discovered that female praying mantis who eat their males after sex produce a greater number of eggs than the ones who can not do so because the bodies of the ill-fated males are used to aid their production.
Conclusion – Are Praying Mantis Endangered
Are praying mantis endangered? No, They are not. Praying mantis is a unique and amazing creations of nature. More than 2000 species of praying mantis are known to scientists.
This insect plays a vital role in the ecosystem by eating tons and tons of the harmful pests which can harm crops. It is not illegal to kill praying mantis. So, you cannot get fined by killing a praying mantis.
But that doesn’t really mean that you should kill it. Rather, we suggest you to enjoy this creation of nature. Praying mantis are also known as good pests. These insects are not dangerous as farmers believe that these help them to get away with the harmful pests.
If you enjoyed this article, make sure to read our other articles as well such as “Why is California so expensive?“, “Does Mayo Have Dairy?“, and “How Long Is Standard Shipping?“.