Does the mantis bite or not?

Mantis are interesting to many because of their bizarre appearance, incredible ability to mimicry and characteristic posture. Facing them, people tend to stay away and not touch this mysterious predator. They are especially concerned about their questions: "Does the mantis bite or not? And how dangerous is it for a person? "Today we will try to understand the peculiarities of the behavior of this interesting insect.

A bit of history

Historically, the mantis, the photo of which we place in this article, was a popular subject of mythology and folklore. So, in Turkey it was believed that he always points with his paws towards Mecca. In Africa, he was credited with the ability to resurrect the dead. And in China, his eggs were roasted and given to children to heal them from bedwetting.

The Europeans were sure that this insect offered prayers to God and, accordingly, was sacred. But not only thanks to the legends surrounding him, the mantis is quite an interesting creature.

Does the mantis bite? We study the features of the structure of an insect

The body of the mantis consists of three parts: a movable triangular head, abdomen and thorax. This is the only insect, capable, looking out for prey, to turn your head 180 °. The female has a heavier stomach, and she herself is much larger than the male.

The front legs of the mantis are its special sign: they are large, "prayerfully" folded and armed with spiky spikes to make it convenient to grab and hold the prey.

This insect has a huge appetite (yes, the mantis bites, and how!): For feeding some types of mantises use not only insects, but also small rodents, frogs, newts, small snakes and even birds.

There are more than 2,200 species of these voracious thieves, having different shapes and sizes. And although the line of their behavior is always the same: patiently wait, grab and eat - between them there are many differences in appearance and taste preferences.

Does the mantis bite or not?

A confirmation of the fact that a mantis can be very dangerous, is at least the fact that the female easily bites the head of its partner immediately after mating. But, fortunately, the probability of getting a serious bite from this insect is extremely small. Many people who care for them have never been injured by a mantis, since they are usually not aggressive towards a person. You can be bitten only if the insect decides that you are threatening something.

The mantis bites: is it dangerous?

By the way, a mantis bite for a person is often less dangerous than a bite of an ant. The poison of the latter can cause a strong allergic reaction, but from the attack of the praying mantis this, as a rule, does not occur. You can only feel the pain at the time of the bite, but it will soon pass by itself. Therefore, the injured do not usually need medical help, except when the person has personal intolerance to the enzymes that make up the mantis saliva . You just need to rinse the wound and make sure that it is in a normal state, that is, it does not swell and does not blush. In case of any abnormalities, you should always consult a doctor.