The Chinese mantis (''Tenodera sinensis'') is a species of
mantis
Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They ha ...
native to Asia and the nearby islands. In 1896 this species was accidentally introduced by a nursery tender at
Mt. Airy near
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, United States.
''Tenodera sinensis'' often is erroneously referred to as ''Tenodera aridifolia sinensis'' because it was at first
described as a subspecies of ''
Tenodera aridifolia'', but ''Tenodera sinensis'' is now established as a full species.
''Tenodera sinensis'' feeds primarily on other insects, though adult females sometimes catch small
vertebrate
Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () (chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, with c ...
s. For example, they have been observed feeding on hornets, spiders, grasshoppers, katydids, small reptiles, amphibians, and even
hummingbirds. Like most mantids, they are known to be
cannibalistic
Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is well documented, bo ...
. One study found that cannibalism occurs in up to 50% of matings. These mantids have been observed eating the larvae of
monarch butterflies
The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. ...
, while discarding the entrails.
Description
The Chinese mantis is a long, slender, brown and green
praying mantis
Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They ha ...
. It is typically longer than other
praying mantis
Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They ha ...
species reaching just over , and is the largest mantis species in North America (spread throughout the Northeast United States). Its color can vary from overall green to brown with a green lateral stripe on the borders of the front wings in the brown color form. In low light the eyes of the mantis appear black, but in daylight appear to be clear, matching the color of the head. Chinese mantids look similar to another mantis species that has been introduced to the United States, the
narrow-winged mantid (''
Tenodera angustipennis
''Tenodera angustipennis'' is a species of mantis native to Asia and nearby areas of Oceania. The species was introduced and became established in the eastern United States. ''Tenodera angustipennis'' was noticed as early as 1921 in Aberdeen, M ...
''). ''Tenodera sinensis'' and ''
Tenodera angustipennis
''Tenodera angustipennis'' is a species of mantis native to Asia and nearby areas of Oceania. The species was introduced and became established in the eastern United States. ''Tenodera angustipennis'' was noticed as early as 1921 in Aberdeen, M ...
'' are similar in appearance, however you can tell them apart by locating a spot in between their front legs. If it is yellow then it is a Chinese mantis but if it is orange then it is a
narrow-winged mantis. The female can produce several semi-spherical
ootheca
An ootheca (pl. ''oothecae'' ) is a type of egg mass made by any member of a variety of species including mollusks (such as ''Turbinella laevigata''), mantises, and cockroaches.
The word is a Latinized combination of ''oo-'', meaning "egg", f ...
e, roughly in diameter, containing up to 300 eggs.
[ The oothecae are often affixed to vegetation such as bushes and small trees.
]
Native range
This mantis is native to China, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Micronesia and Thailand.[ Japanese 'Oo-kamakiri' ("large mantis") is known as '' Tenodera aridifolia'', but this species can be considered ''T. sinensis''.
]
Growth
Chinese mantises hatch in the spring, eat, grow, and molt through the summer, and lay eggs at the end of summer. When it gets too cold, they die, only living around a year long. First instar
An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ...
nymphs
A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...
that eat less take a longer time to molt to the next instar and are smaller at the second instar than first instar nymphs that have been fed more.
Captivity
''Tenodera sinensis'' is a common pet for mantis enthusiasts, and oothecae can be purchased from plant nurseries across the US. They are notable for quickly adapting to the presence of humans. They can become tame enough to perch on one's hand and even be hand-fed.
Care
The Chinese mantis should be kept in a terrarium roughly three times its body size. The Chinese mantis is an aggressive carnivore that will tackle and eat large insects. In captivity the Chinese mantis' diet can consist primarily of cockroaches
Cockroaches (or roaches) are a paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known a ...
, moths, butterflies, grasshoppers, and crickets
Crickets are orthopteran insects which are related to bush crickets, and, more distantly, to grasshoppers. In older literature, such as Imms,Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) ''A General Textbook of Entomology'' 9th Ed. Methuen 8 ...
. As a first instar, Chinese mantids can be fed ''Drosophila melanogaster
''Drosophila melanogaster'' is a species of fly (the taxonomic order Diptera) in the family Drosophilidae. The species is often referred to as the fruit fly or lesser fruit fly, or less commonly the " vinegar fly" or "pomace fly". Starting with ...
'' and other similarly sized insects in captivity. As they grow larger, mantids will accept house flies, blue bottle flies, moths, small roaches and crickets.
Water should be provided by gently misting the enclosure on a daily basis. The enclosure must have proper aeration to prevent the growth of mold. In the terrarium, mantids require sticks and other foliage for climbing and molting. Mantids will thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 to 38 °C.
Predators
The Chinese mantis is preyed on by other mantises, birds, and the Asian giant hornet
The Asian giant hornet (''Vespa mandarinia'') or northern giant hornet, including the color form referred to as the Japanese giant hornet, is the world's largest hornet. It is native to temperate and tropical East Asia, South Asia, Mainland Sout ...
in its native range. The female mantis specifically preys on male mantises. She often kills and eats her male partner after mating, providing nutrition for her offspring Sexual cannibalism
Sexual cannibalism is when an animal, usually the female, cannibalizes its mate prior to, during, or after copulation.Polis, G.A. & Farley, R.D. Behavior and Ecology of Mating in the journal of Arachnology 33-46 (1979). It is a trait observed in ...
is a strange phenomenon not yet completely understood by scientists.
Similar species
The European mantis
The European mantis (''Mantis religiosa'') is a large hemimetabolic insect in the family of the Mantidae ('mantids'), which is the largest family of the order Mantodea (mantises). Their common name praying mantis is derived from the distinctive ...
(''Mantis religiosa'') and the Carolina mantis
The Carolina mantis (''Stagmomantis carolina'') is a species of praying mantis of the subfamily Stagmomantinae.
Sexual cannibalism occurs in roughly one quarter of all intersexual encounters of this species, though specimens of this species wi ...
(''Stagmomantis carolina'') are both smaller mantises closely resembling the Chinese mantis. The European mantis is anywhere from tan to green in color and about 7.5 cm (3 in) long. The Carolina mantis, on the other hand is only 6 cm (2.5 in) in length and varies more in color.
Culture
There are two martial arts styles created to mimic the movements of the Chinese mantis. Developed in the Shandong province of China in the mid-1600s, Praying Mantis kung-fu is based on the quick movements and techniques of the Chinese mantis. An unrelated style of kung fu
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to commo ...
that was developed by the Hakka people
The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...
in Southern China
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...
is known as Southern Praying Mantis
Southern Praying Mantis () is a Chinese martial art originating with the Hakka people. It is most closely associated with Hakka-origin styles such as Southern Dragon Kung Fu and Bak Mei.
Despite its name, the Southern Mantis style is unrelate ...
.
Master Mantis, one of the supporting characters in the 2008 Dreamworks Animation film franchise ''Kung Fu Panda
''Kung Fu Panda'' is an American media franchise that originally started in 2008 with the release of the animated feature film of the same name, produced by DreamWorks Animation. Following the adventures of the titular Po Ping (primarily voic ...
'', is a Chinese mantis and one of the members of the Furious Five.
Gallery
File:Tenodera sinensis 3 Luc Viatour.jpg, Adult male
File:Tenodera sinensis 1 Luc Viatour.jpg, Adult female
File:Mantis in Connecticut.jpg, Adult at rest
File:Prayingmantismeal.jpg, Adult female ''Tenodera sinensis'' eating a long-horned grasshopper
File:Brown sub-adult female Chinese Mantis on hand1243.JPG, Sub-adult female in hand
See also
* List of mantis genera and species
The following list of mantis genera and species is based on the "Mantodea Species File", which is the primary reference for the taxonomy shown here.
The insect Order (biology), order Mantodea consists of over 2,400 species of mantises in about 460 ...
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1149167
Mantidae
Mantodea of Asia
Insects of China
Mantodea of North America
Insects described in 1871