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Praying Mantis Miomantis caffra.
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Predatory Potential and Sexual Cannibalism Behaviour of
Praying Mantis (Miomantis caffra)
I. Introduction
The Praying Mantis (or Mantodea) is in the Mantidae family with its closest relatives
believed to be cockroaches and termites. Although their evolutionary path has been a subject for
dispute, recent belief is that mantises evolved from proto-cockroaches during the Cretaceous
period, possibly from species like Raphidiomimula burmittica, a predatory cockroach with
mantis-like forelegs (Johnson,2011). Mantids are insects and are diur- nal, which means they are
active during the daytime. Praying mantids usually are between 2 and 2½ inches (50 to 65 mm)
long from head to wingtip, but some are larger. They are polyphagous predators, meaning they
eat more than one type of living thing. They feed on beetles, leafhoppers, flies, caterpil- lars,
each other, and any other insect they can catch (Loomis and Stone, 2007).
In general, mantid classification is based on the form of the raptorial forelegs and of the
antennae, the shape of the pronotum and of the compound eyes, and colour. On the case of
taxonomic classification, Praying mantis belongs to Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda,
Class Insecta, Order, Family, Genus, Species. Mantids are morphologically diverse, widely
distributed geographically in subtropical and temperate regions, and comprise bulk of species.
For morphological identification of Miomantis caffra, their head (Fig. 1.1) is triangular, in male
more angular, shallower, and with eyes more pronounced; ocelli large, prominent, well
developed; antennae 3× longer than pronotum. In female head deeper, triangular, with eyes less
prominent and ocelli small, inconspicuous; antennae approximately as long as pronotum. In both
sexes, frons shallow and arched mid-dorsally (Ramsay,1990)
The thorax is itself divided into three distinct segments: prothorax, mesothorax and
metathorax (Chapman, 1972), each of which bear a pair of legs. Prothorax bears the forelegs,
mesothorax bears the mid legs as well as the elytra and metathorax wherein hind legs and hind
wings arise. Body of praying mantis consists of protonum, legs, wings and genitalia. Pronotum is
slender, much narrower than head, with a rounded swelling or node above attachment of coxae,
comprising about one-third of total body length in female and one-quarter in male. Legs in
Praying mantis are divided into foreleg, middle leg and hind leg. Forelegs in female are with
sharp, conspicuous margins each bearing a row of setate tubercles and with tubercles scattered on
surface; male has scattered setate tubercles/denticles distributed over surface only. Middle and
Hind leg similar with long and slender femur and tibia, trichoid setae more or less arranged in
longitudinal rows, tarsus 4-segmented and metatarsus relatively short. Wings, on the other hand,
consist of fore wings and hind wings. Both fore and hind wings strongly sexually dimorphic in
colour, shape, size, and venation. Forewing sclerotised strongly in female, weakly in male. Hind
wings are well-developed,flimsy, membranous, colourless apart from distal third of costal zone,
where veins opaque and coloured pale green; slightly elongated in male and shorter and more
strongly curved apically in female.
Abdomen normal, soft, parallel-sided in male, larger, broad, with curved sides in female.
Segments of the insect body are divisible into three main sclerotised regions; a dorsal region or
tergum, a ventral region or sternum and a lateral region or pleuron. On each region can be seen
sclerotised plates, known as sclerites, these form the outer integument of the mantis and give the
body its form and stability. Dorsal sclerites are known as tergites, ventral sclerites as sternites,
and pleural sclerites as pleurites (Higgins, 2010; Chapman 1972). Male with 9 tergal and 7
sternal plates, female with 9 and 5 respectively. Tergites emarginate in both sexes. First sternite
forming a strong spur behind hind coxae in male and a weak, blunt point only in female. Cerci
slender, soft, tapering, circular in cross-section, with long and short trichoid sensilla in both
sexes. Suranal plate similar in both sexes, wider than long, deeply triangular, slightly irregular to
crenulate in outline, more or less flat. Subgenital plate in male convex, asymmetrical, longer than
wide; sides curved; apex extending between strongly developed, tapered styli, truncate.
Subgenital plate in female strongly convex, hemispherical, apically forming a bilobed sheath
surrounding ovipositor (Ramsay,1990) Genitals for male are the phallus and ovipositor for the
female.
REFERENCES:
Ramsay, G. W. 1990. Mantodea (Insecta) with a review of aspects of functional morphology and
biology. Fauna of New Zealand 19:1-96.
Walsby, J. 1996. On a wing and a prayer. New Zealand Geographic 29:100-116.
J.M. Loomis and H. Stone, 2007. Praying Mantis Stagmomantis californica. Oregon State
University, p.2
Higgins, Gillian. 2010. UK Mantis Forums Newsletter. Issue No. 02 p.19
Chapman, R.F. 1972. The Insects: Structure and Function. Second edition. The English
Universities Press Ltd.
Johnson, T. 2011. PRAYING MANTIS p.1