Why does the female praying mantis eat the male after mating. What do praying mantises eat at home How does a home praying mantis eat

The praying mantis is perhaps one of the most amazing and strange insects on our planet, both in its habits and way of life, some features of which can slightly (or even strongly) shock us people. Yes, we are talking about the famous mating habits of praying mantises, when the female praying mantis after the mating process (and sometimes right during the process) eats her unlucky cavalier. But, of course, praying mantises are not only remarkable for this, and in our today's article we will tell you about all aspects of the life of these unusual insects.

Origin of the name praying mantis

The academic name for the praying mantis back in 1758 was given by the great Swedish naturalist Karl Liney, who drew attention to the fact that the pose of the praying mantis, which is in ambush and guarding prey, is very similar to the pose of a man who folded his hands in prayer to God. Because of such a striking similarity, the scientist gave the insect Latin name « Mantis religiosa”, which literally translates as “religious priest”, but the name “praying mantis” itself came into our language.

Although it is not called so everywhere, our hero also has other, by no means so blissful names, for example, in Spain they call him Caballito del Diablo - the devil's horse or simply - muerte - death. Such creepy names are obviously associated with no less creepy habits of praying mantises.

What does a praying mantis look like: structure and characteristics

The structure of the praying mantis is characterized by an elongated body, which distinguishes it from other arthropod insects.

The praying mantis is perhaps the only living creature that can easily turn its triangular shape, head all 360 degrees. Thanks to such a useful skill, he can see the enemy approaching from behind. And he also has only one ear, but, despite this, just excellent hearing.

The praying mantis eyes of a complex faceted structure are located on the sides of the head, but in addition to them, our hero has three more simple eyes above the base of the antennae.

The antennae of praying mantises are comb-like, feathery or filiform, depending on the species of the insect.

Praying mantises, almost all of their species, have well-developed wings, but mainly only males can fly, females, due to their greater weight and size, are more difficult to fly than males. Praying mantis wings consist of two pairs: anterior and posterior, the anterior ones serve as a kind of elytra protecting the hindwings. Also, pilgrimage wings usually have bright colors, and sometimes they even have peculiar patterns on them. But among the many varieties of praying mantises, there is such an earthen praying mantis (the Latin name is Geomantis larvoides), which does not have wings at all.

Praying mantises have well-developed forelimbs, which have a rather complicated structure - each of them consists of many parts: trochanters, hips, shins and legs. From the bottom of the thigh there are large sharp spikes arranged in three rows. There are also spikes (albeit smaller ones) on the praying mantis shin, which is adorned with a sharp, needle-shaped hook at the end. See the picture for an exemplary structure of the praying mantis foot.

Praying mantises keep their prey just between the thigh and lower leg until their meal is over.

Praying mantises have a primitive circulation, but there is a reason for this - an unusual respiratory system. the praying mantis is supplied with a complex system of tracheae connected to dichals (stigmas) on the abdomen in the middle and posterior parts of the body. The trachea contains air sacs that enhance ventilation throughout the respiratory system.

Praying mantis sizes

We have already mentioned above that female praying mantises are much larger than males, oddly enough, this is their main sexual difference.

A species of praying mantis, called in Latin Ischnomantis gigas and living in Africa, can reach 17 cm in length, perhaps this representative of the praying kingdom is a real champion in size.

Ischnomantis gigas is the largest praying mantis in the world.

Heterochaeta orientalis or Heterochaeta orientalis is a little inferior to him, it reaches 16 cm in length. Ordinary praying mantises are much smaller, on average no more than 0.5-1.5 cm in length.

praying mantis color

Like many other insects, praying mantises have excellent camouflage abilities, this biological way protection from predators, because of this, their colors have, depending on environment, green, yellow and brown tones. Green mantises live on green leaves, while brown ones are inseparable from the bark of trees.

What does the praying mantis eat

It's no secret that our hero is a notorious predator who loves to eat both smaller insects and is not afraid to attack prey even larger than himself. They eat flies, wasps, bumblebees, beetles, etc. Large representatives of the praying family (see above) can even attack small rodents, birds and small amphibians: frogs,.

Praying mantises usually attack from an ambush, suddenly grab the prey with their front paws and do not let go until they are completely eaten. strong jaws allow these gluttons to eat even relatively large prey.

Mantid Enemies

Although praying mantises are excellent predatory hunters, they themselves can also become prey for snakes, some birds or bats. But the main enemies of praying mantises, perhaps, are their own relatives - other praying mantises. There are often life-and-death fights between two rival praying mantises. The fights themselves, both between praying mantises and with other insects, are very spectacular, first of all, the praying mantis seeks to scare the opponent, for this he takes a special frightening pose - throws his front paws forward and lifts his belly up. All this may be accompanied by appropriate threatening sounds. Such a show of strength is by no means feigned, praying mantises are desperately brave and with courage rush even at a much larger opponent. Thanks to such courage and bravery, praying mantises often emerge victorious from such fights.

Where does the praying mantis live

Almost everywhere, since their habitat is very wide: Central and Southern Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa, Australia. They are not only in northern regions, since praying mantises are not very accustomed to the cold. But they are great, for example, hot and humid climate tropical Africa and South America. Praying mantises feel great in tropical forests, and in the steppe regions, and in stony deserts.

They rarely move from place to place, preferring their usual habitat to unknown distant places, the only reason that can encourage them to travel is the lack of food supply.

Types of praying mantises: photos and names

Scientists have estimated about 2000 various kinds praying mantises, we, unfortunately, will not be able to bring them all in our article, but we will describe, in our opinion, the most interesting representatives.

Mantis common lives in most countries of Europe, Asia, Africa. The common praying mantis is a very large representative of the praying kingdom, reaching up to 7 cm (female) and 6 cm (male). As a rule, they are green or brown in color, the wings are well developed, at least it is not a problem for the common praying mantis to fly from branch to branch. Abdomen ovoid. This type of praying mantis can be distinguished by a black spot, which is located on the coxae of the front pair of legs with inside.

Obviously, China is the birthplace and main habitat of this species of praying mantis. The Chinese praying mantis is quite large, females reach up to 15 cm in length, but the size of males is much more modest. They are green and brown. A characteristic difference Chinese praying mantis is their nocturnal lifestyle, while their other relatives still sleep at night. Also, young individuals of Chinese praying mantises do not have wings, which grow only after several molts, at the same time they acquire the ability to fly.

The praying mantis Creobroter meleagris lives in southwestern Asia: India, Vietnam, Cambodia and a number of other countries. Usually reach 5 cm in length. The colors are white and cream. You can recognize them by the light brown stripes that run throughout the body and head. Also on the wings they have one small and a large spot of white or cream color.

He is the mantis Creobroter gemmatus especially loves moist forests south india, Vietnam and other Asian countries. This species is small, females grow up to only 40 mm, males up to 38 mm. The body is more elongated than that of other relatives. And for additional protection, there are special spikes on the hips of the Indian praying mantis. different heights. Cream colored. Representatives of this species excellent fliers, and both males and females, due to their low weight, besides, both pairs of wings are well developed. Interestingly, on the front wings they have a spot similar to an eye with two pupils, which scares off predators. Flower mantises live, as their names imply, in the flowers of plants, where they guard their prey.

He is the praying mantis Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii lives in the countries of southern and East Africa. In terms of lifestyle, size, it is very similar to the Indian flower mantis. But its coloring is especially interesting - it is really artistic, on the upper pair of wings there is an interesting pattern resembling a spiral or even an eye. On the abdomen of this species there are additional spines that gave it its name.

Orchid praying mantis - in our opinion is the most beautiful representatives of the praying mantis in the world. It also received its name not casually, namely for resemblance with beautiful orchids, on which he actually hides in ambush in anticipation of the next victim. females orchid praying mantis exactly twice as many males: 80 mm versus 40. And even among other praying mantises, orchid mantises are distinguished by amazing courage, representatives of this species are not afraid to attack even insects that are twice their size.

Oriental heterochaete or spiky-eyed mantis is one of the largest mantises in the world (the female reaches 15 cm in length) and lives in most of Africa. These praying mantises live in the branches of bushes, since their appearance also resembles twigs.

Praying mantis breeding

And here we move on to the most interesting part, namely the reproduction of mantises, which, as a rule, has a sad and tragic end for males. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, but let's start in order. Male praying mantises advancing mating season(usually in autumn), with the help of charm organs, they begin to search for females ready to mate. Having found one, he performs a special “marriage dance” in front of her, transferring him to the rank of a sexual partner. Then the mating process itself begins, during which the female praying mantis has a bad habit of biting off her male's head and then completely eating him. Some scientists believe that this behavior, which is more than terrible in our opinion, also has its own biological reasons - having eaten her “groom”, the female, in such a simple way, replenishes the reserves of protein nutrients necessary for future offspring.

Although it also happens that the male manages to get away from his “beloved” in time than to avoid the sad fate of food.

After some time, the fertilized female lays eggs, at the same time enveloping them with a special sticky secret that is secreted by their special glands. This secret serves as a kind of protective capsule for the eggs of future praying mantises and is called ootheca. The fertility of the female depends on her species, usually the female is able to lay from 10 to 400 eggs at a time.

Praying mantis larvae stay in the eggs from three weeks to six months, after which they crawl out of the eggs. Further them development is underway at a fairly fast pace and after about 4-8 molts, the larva is already reborn into an adult praying mantis.

Keeping praying mantises at home

Terrarium

It would be a very exotic and unusual act to have a pet praying mantis, right? However, there are people who have such “pets” and if you want to join them too, then the first thing you have to take care of is the terrarium. A relatively small, glass or plastic terrarium with a mesh cover is suitable, its dimensions should be at least three times the size of the praying mantis itself. Inside it would be nice to place twigs or small plants on which the praying mantis will climb like trees.

Temperature

Praying mantises are thermophilic insects, so optimum temperature for them it will be from +23 to +30 C. You can use special heaters for terrariums.

Humidity

Also, do not forget about humidity, which is also important for these insects. The optimal humidity for praying mantises is 40-60%, and to maintain it, you can put a small container of water inside the terrarium.

How to feed praying mantises at home

Living food. Perfect fit, grasshoppers, cockroaches, flies. Some species of praying mantis will not mind eating ants. And with all this, they need to be fed regularly, so keeping such “pets” can be somewhat troublesome. But praying mantises do not need to be watered, since they get the fluid they need from food.

• One of the styles of Chinese wushu martial arts is named after the mantis, according to legend, this style was invented by a Chinese peasant watching the mantis hunt.
• In the Soviet Union at one time they wanted to industrially use praying mantises as biological protection from agricultural pests. True, this idea had to be abandoned, since the praying mantises also ate beneficial insects, the same bees.
• Since ancient times, praying mantises were frequent heroes different myths and legends among African and Asian peoples, for example in China, they personified stubbornness and greed, and the ancient Greeks attributed to them the ability to predict the onset of spring.

Mantis - an insect from another planet, video

And in conclusion, we bring to your attention an interesting popular science film about praying mantises.

As you know, praying mantises are predatory insects. Praying mantises are fed with almost any insect, provided that the size of the victim does not exceed the size of the predator itself.

What to feed praying mantises? Forage insects

AT summer time there are usually no problems with praying mantis food. In the garden, in nature, you can catch butterflies, moths, locusts, grasshoppers, etc. In their natural habitat, praying mantises do not disdain even bees and wasps, but, probably, not every owner of a praying mantis will dare to contact stinging insects.

In winter, praying mantis food is purchased at pet stores. Crickets, locusts, mealworm larvae and wax moth larvae will do. The most suitable food for adult praying mantises are marble (ash) cockroaches. They, like crickets, can not only be purchased in specialized stores, but also grown independently at home. Prussians (domestic cockroaches) are not suitable as food for the praying mantis, since they may well be poisoned by pesticides.

If there are any difficulties with the purchase of these feeds, you can buy a suitable praying mantis according to the size of the bloodworm.

Be careful including spiders in your mantis diet - they can be poisonous to your predator.

It should be noted that the nutritional requirements of your pets will vary depending on the growth stage. At an early age, praying mantises are fed with small insects: aphids, moths, mosquitoes, fruit flies (they are easily bred at home), small flies. AT recent times a wingless fly appeared in pet stores - it can also be fed to young individuals. As the praying mantis larvae grow, they can be given newborn cockroaches and crickets.

Mantis feeding process

I must say that the dining praying mantis is a curious sight. The process of swallowing a praying mantis is similar to eating small parts of a chicken by a person. The pet slowly chews the pieces very carefully and spits out solid chitin.

There are two options for feeding the praying mantis:

1. launch food insects into the praying mantis dwelling
2. feed your pet with tweezers

If you throw "food" into the terrarium, and do not feed with tweezers, then a large insect should be slightly pressed down before treating the praying mantis - so it will be easier for your little predator to cope with the prey.

It is best to feed the praying mantis with tweezers or put it as close to the pet as possible. Be sure to check whether the praying mantis has eaten the treat - the bloodworm dies and dries out very quickly. The fact is that it is very important for the fastidious praying mantis that the victim is alive. Be sure to control the eating of crickets. Since it is very difficult to predict when a praying mantis will begin to molt, it can begin to molt right at the time of eating. In this case, the cricket will damage your praying mantis, which can lead to the death of the pet. Therefore, as soon as the praying mantis is full, the remaining crickets are immediately removed from the terrarium.

Mantis feeding regimen

Nymphs are fed every day, adult insects - after 1-2 days. For one feeding, an adult praying mantis is given 2-3 fodder insects. Young praying mantises are fed until full, while adults should not be overfed. Usually. praying mantises are quite gluttonous. An overeaten praying mantis can hardly move, but most importantly, overeating can lead to the death of a pet (there is a chance of a rupture of the abdomen). It is also necessary to know that the more an insect eats, the faster it ages and the shorter its life.

Why does the praying mantis refuse food?

Sometimes praying mantises refuse food, which causes concern for their owners. The reason may be the approach of molting. An illustrative example is the behavior when the praying mantis does not grab the victim, but only makes a false throw, hitting it with the shins of the front legs. If the molt has already passed, but the praying mantis still does not eat, most likely, he simply has not yet grown stronger after the molting process, which is not easy for him. If a pet refuses food with a "thin" abdomen, then food insect larger than he needs. Maybe he's just afraid of the "victim"?

Water for the praying mantis

The presence of water for praying mantises is not fundamental if insects get it with food. But you can put a saucer with a wet sponge in the insectarium (this will ensure humidity inside the terrarium) or you should spray water from a spray bottle every day.

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Not everyone knows what praying mantises eat. What the praying mantis eats in nature and at home, you will learn from this article.

What do praying mantises eat?

The praying mantis is an arthropod insect, order of praying mantises. Almost all of them have a characteristic elongated body that distinguishes them from other insects. The head is movable and triangular in shape. Its peculiarity is that it can rotate around its axis. So the insect can even notice the approaching enemy from behind. The eyes are large and convex, have a complex structure and faceted. They are located on the lateral edges of the head far apart. Also, the insect has 3 simple eyes located above the base of the antennae.

What does the praying mantis eat in nature?

By nature, praying mantises are predators. Their diet consists of large and small insects. Representatives of this order love to feast on flies, bees, mosquitoes, wasps, butterflies, beetles, bumblebees or cockroaches. Large praying mantises are not averse to hunting small amphibians: frogs, geckos, lizards, as well as small rodents and even medium-sized birds.

Predators ambush their prey. Praying mantises grab prey with their front paws and hold it until they have eaten it completely. Animals have powerful structure oral apparatus and jaws that allow them to bite into pieces even the most big booty.

What do praying mantises eat at home?

Those who decide to have a praying mantis at home as pet, you should know following rules his nutrition. In summer, there are no problems with food. In nature, in a garden or park, you can catch moths, grasshoppers, butterflies, locusts. But in winter, food for an insect is bought at pet stores. These can be locusts, crickets, wax moth larvae and mealybugs. Ash (marble) cockroaches are a favorite delicacy of domestic praying mantises. If in your locality there is no specialized store, then you can buy a suitable bloodworm for a praying mantis.

honey agaric translated from Latin into Russian means "bracelet". This name is not at all surprising, because if you look at the stump, on which mushrooms are most often comfortably located, you can see a peculiar form of mushroom growth in the form of a ring.

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Honey agaric - description and photos.

It is not difficult to recognize this mushroom. The honey agaric has a flexible, thin, sometimes rather long leg (it can reach 12-15 cm), the color of which varies from light honey to dark brown, depending on the age and place of growth of the honey agaric. The leg of many mushrooms (not all) is “dressed up” in a skirt ring, and it is crowned with an elegant lamellar, usually rounded hat. In a young fungus, it is hemispherical in shape, covered with small scales, but with its “growing up” it acquires an umbrella shape and becomes smooth. The shade of the hat of the mushroom is different - from cream or yellowish to reddish tones.

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Where do mushrooms grow?

Honey mushrooms, known to all mushroom pickers, are able to “capture” quite large areas under their distribution area. They feel great not only near trees, but also next to some shrubs, in meadows and forest edges. Most often, mushrooms grow large groups precisely on old stumps, not far from weakened trees in wooded area. Honey mushrooms can be found everywhere - both in the Northern Hemisphere and in the subtropical zone. This mushroom does not like only the harsh areas of permafrost.

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Types of mushrooms, names and photos.

There are several different types of mushrooms:

• Summer honey agaric (linden honey agaric, küneromyces variable)(lat.
  ehneromyces mutabilis)- an edible mushroom of the strophariaceae family, the genus Kyuneromyces. Summer mushrooms grow in large colonies mainly on deciduous trees, especially on rotten and damaged wood. In mountainous areas grow on spruces. A small mushroom with a stem up to 7 cm high and 0.4 to 1 cm in diameter. The top of the leg is light, smooth, dark scales cover the bottom of the leg. The “skirt” is narrow, membranous, may disappear over time, due to falling spores it turns brownish. The diameter of the cap is from 3 to 6 cm. Young summer mushrooms are distinguished by a convex hat, as the mushroom grows, the surface flattens, but a noticeable light tubercle remains in the center. The skin is smooth, matte, honey-yellow with dark edges. In wet weather, the skin is translucent, and characteristic circles form near the tubercle. The pulp of the summer honey agaric is tender, moist, pale yellow color, pleasant to the taste, with a pronounced aroma of living wood. The plates are often located, light, eventually becoming dark brown. The summer honey agaric is found mainly in deciduous forest areas throughout temperate zone. Appears in April and bears fruit until November. In areas with a favorable climate, it can bear fruit without interruption. Sometimes summer mushrooms are confused with the poisonous bordered galerina (lat. Galerina marginata), which is small in size. fruiting body and the absence of scales at the bottom of the legs.

• Honey agaric meadow (meadow grass, meadow rot, clove mushroom, meadow marasmius)(lat. Marasmius oreades)- an edible mushroom of the non-rotten family, the genus non-rotten. A typical soil saprophyte growing in fields, meadows, pastures, summer cottages, along the edges of clearings and ditches, in ravines and on forest edges. It is characterized by abundant fruiting, often growing in straight or arcuate rows, sometimes forming “witch circles”. The leg of the meadow grass is long and thin, sometimes curved, up to 10 cm in height, and from 0.2 to 0.5 cm in diameter. Dense along the entire length, expanded at the very bottom, has the color of a cap or a little lighter. In young meadow mushrooms, the hat is convex, flattens with time, the edges become uneven, and a pronounced blunt tubercle remains in the center. In wet weather, the skin becomes sticky, yellow-brown or reddish. AT good weather the hat is light beige, but always with a center darker than the edges. The plates are rare, light, darker in the rain, there is no “skirt” under the hat. The flesh is thin, light, sweet in taste, with a characteristic smell of cloves or almonds. Lugovik is found from May to October throughout Eurasia: from Japan to canary islands. It tolerates drought well, and after rains it comes to life and is again capable of reproduction. Meadow agaric is sometimes confused with forest-loving Collybia (lat. Collybia dryophila), a conditionally edible mushroom that has biotopes similar to meadow grass. It differs from the meadow grass in a tubular, hollow inside leg, more often located plates and bad smell. It is much more dangerous to confuse a meadow with a furrowed talker (lat. Clitocybe rivulosa), poisonous mushroom, characterized by a whitish hat devoid of a tubercle, often seated plates and a mealy spirit.

• Honey agaric slimy or udemansiella mucosa(lat. Oudemansiella mucida)- view edible mushrooms physalacrium family, genus udemansiella. A rare mushroom that grows on the trunks of fallen European beech, sometimes on still living damaged trees. The curved stem reaches 2-8 cm in length and has a diameter of 2 to 4 mm. Under the hat itself it is light, below the “skirt” it is covered with brown flakes, at the base it has a characteristic thickening. The ring is thick, slimy. Caps of young mushrooms have the shape of a wide cone, open with age and become flat-convex. At first, the skin of the mushrooms is dry and olive-gray in color, with age it becomes slimy, whitish or beige with yellowness. The plates are rarely located and differ in yellowish color. The pulp of the mucous membrane is tasteless, odorless, white; in old mushrooms, the lower part of the stem turns brown. Mucous honey agaric is found in the broad-leaved European zone.

• Spring honey agaric or Collybia arborifolia(lat. Gymnopus dryophilus, Collybia dryophila)- a species of edible mushrooms of the non-gniuchnikov family, the genus Gymnopus. It grows in separate small groups on fallen trees and decaying foliage, in forests, with a predominance of oak and pine. The elastic leg, 3 to 9 cm long, is usually even, but sometimes has a thickened base. The cap of young mushrooms is convex, with time it acquires a wide-convex or flattened shape. The skin of young mushrooms is brick-colored, in mature individuals it brightens and becomes yellow-brown. The plates are frequent, white, sometimes with a pink or yellow tint. The flesh is white or yellowish, with a mild taste and smell. Spring mushrooms grow throughout the temperate zone from early summer to November.

• Garlic ordinary (common garlic mushroom) (lat. Mycetinis scorodonius, Marasmius scorodonius)- an edible medium-sized mushroom of the non-gnjuchnikov family, the garlic genus. It has a characteristic smell of garlic, which is why it is often used in seasonings. The cap is slightly convex or hemispherical, it can reach 2.5 cm in diameter. The color of the cap depends on humidity: in rainy weather and fogs it is brownish, sometimes saturated red, in dry weather it becomes creamy. The plates are light, very rare. The leg of this honey agaric is hard and shiny, darker below.

• (lat. Mycetinis alliaceus) belongs to the genus garlic cloves of the non-gnjuchnikov family. The mushroom cap can be quite large (up to 6.5 cm), slightly translucent closer to the edge. The surface of the cap is smooth, yellow or red tones, brighter in the center. The pulp has a pronounced garlic flavor. Strong leg up to 5 mm thick and 6 to 15 cm long, gray or black, covered with pubescence. It grows in Europe, preferring deciduous forests, and especially rotting beech leaves and twigs.

• - a conditionally edible mushroom belonging to the ordinary family. Some consider it inedible. The hat is convex, with aging the fungus becomes flatter, up to 15 cm in diameter. The surface is covered with small red-purple scales. The flesh of the honey agaric is yellow, in the leg its structure is more fibrous, in the cap it is dense. The taste may be bitter, and the smell sour or woody-putrefactive. The stalk is usually curved, hollow in the middle and upper parts, thickened at the base.

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Honey mushrooms - useful properties.

Honey mushrooms are one of the most popular mushrooms that got their name due to their place of growth. Since mushrooms do not grow separately, but live in whole families, then about one stump you can easily collect a whole basket of tasty and healthy mushrooms, which, by the way, are considered a very low-calorie product.
Useful substances that are part of honey mushrooms:

• vitamins of groups B, C, PP and E;
• trace elements (phosphorus, potassium, zinc, iron, and so on);
• cellulose;
• amino acids;
• proteins;
• natural sugars.

Why are mushrooms useful? Interestingly, according to the content of some useful microelements, for example, phosphorus and potassium, which are part of them, mushrooms can easily compete with river or other types of fish. Therefore, it is advisable to use these mushrooms for vegetarians to prevent bone disorders and bone tissue.
Thanks to high content in magnesium, iron, zinc and copper mushrooms, mushrooms have a positive effect on hematopoiesis, so they are recommended to be taken for anemia. Just 100 g of these mushrooms is enough, and you can fill the body with the daily norm of trace elements necessary to maintain hemoglobin.
Numerous species of mushrooms differ significantly in their vitamin composition. If some types of these mushrooms are rich in retinol, which is useful for strengthening hair, promotes youthful skin and eye health, then others are endowed with large quantity vitamins E and C, which have a beneficial effect on the immune and hormonal systems.
Honey mushrooms are also considered natural antiseptics, as they boast anti-cancer and antimicrobial properties. In their strength, they can be compared with antibiotics or garlic, so it is useful to take them in the presence of Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus.
Regular consumption of honey mushrooms can prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases. AT folk medicine This mushroom is often used to treat pathologies of the liver and thyroid gland.

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Honey mushrooms: contraindications.

However, despite all the benefits of these mushrooms, this product can be harmful:

• Honey mushrooms should not be given to children under 12 years of age;
• The vinegar contained in pickled mushrooms is harmful to patients with gastrointestinal diseases, ulcers and gastritis.

Cooking again.

As for the use of mushrooms for food, it should be borne in mind that the lower part of the leg is harsh, therefore it is welcome to use only the mushroom cap. After collecting honey mushrooms, it is necessary to thoroughly wash and remove debris. The main cooking methods of mushrooms include frying, pickling and salting. Mushrooms can also be stored frozen.

False mushrooms - description and photos. How to distinguish edible mushrooms from false mushrooms.

An experienced mushroom picker can easily distinguish false mushrooms from edible ones, and although certain species false mushrooms are considered conditionally edible, it is better not to take risks, but to be guided by the rule: “Not sure - don’t take it.”

What do false mushrooms look like? The color of the cap of real mushrooms is light beige or brownish in color, the caps of inedible mushrooms are more brightly colored and can be rusty brown, brick red or orange.

False sulfur-yellow mushrooms, which have a color similar to real ones, are considered especially dangerous.

To distinguish mushrooms from false mushrooms, you also need to know that the surface of the cap of edible mushrooms is covered with special specks - scales, darker than the cap itself. False honey mushrooms have a smooth hat, in most cases wet, and after rain it becomes sticky. As the fungus grows, the scales disappear, such a moment should be taken into account by lovers of overgrown mushrooms.

The difference between false mushrooms also lies in the plates of the fungus. back side caps of real edible mushrooms consists of many white, cream or white-yellow plates. The plates of poisonous mushrooms are green, bright yellow or olive-black. False brick-red honey agaric often has a cobweb formation under the hat.

Edible mushrooms have a characteristic mushroom aroma, false ones usually smell strongly of mold or smell unpleasantly of the earth, and also have a bitter aftertaste.

To protect yourself from painful torments and serious poisoning, a novice mushroom picker should still focus on the main difference - the presence of a “skirt” under the hat of a real mushroom.

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• All varieties of mushrooms are great workers: usually settling on diseased or almost completely unviable remains of wood and excessively depleted soils, these mushrooms perfectly process any biomass into useful microelements, restore the balance of the soil substrate, making it suitable and healthy for the growth of other plants.
• In Russia, the skin of the meadow agaric was used according to the principle of a modern adhesive plaster: it perfectly healed shallow wounds from cuts, relieved burning sensation after burns and relieved pain.
• In ancient times, the fungus was attributed to the mushroom magical property point to the treasure: it was believed that where a lot of mushrooms are found, a treasure must be buried.

Spreading

The praying mantis is widespread in the South and Central Europe, South and North America, Asia, Australia, Africa. These insects do not live only in the northern regions, since they are extremely negative about the cold. But in the humid and hot climate of tropical Africa and South America they feel great.

They feel no less comfortable in tropical forests, in rocky deserts, in steppe regions. The praying mantis insect rarely moves, preferring its habitat to distant and unknown territories. The only reason that can make him go on a trip is the lack of food.

Types of praying mantis

Scientists believe that our planet is inhabited by about two thousand different species of these insects. Naturally, in this article we will not be able to present you with all the varieties, but we will tell you about the most, in our opinion, unusual representatives of this family.

common praying mantis

This is a rather large representative of the species: the female is up to seven centimeters long, the male is about six. In the countries of Europe, Africa and Asia, where the praying mantis of this species lives, it can be distinguished by an ovoid abdomen and black spots located on the front pairs of legs on the inside. They are usually painted green or brown. This species has well developed wings. In any case, the praying mantis flies quite easily from branch to branch.

Chinese praying mantis

From the name you can understand that China is the birthplace and place of distribution. This is a large insect, reaching a length of fifteen centimeters. The male Chinese mantis is much smaller. They are painted green or Brown color. The peculiarity of this species lies in the nocturnal lifestyle, although its relatives sleep at night.

In addition, young individuals of this species do not have wings: they grow only after several molts.

Creobroter meleagris

This is a resident of India, Cambodia, Vietnam and a number of Asian countries. In length, such insects reach five centimeters. Painted in cream or white. Them distinctive feature are light brown stripes running over the head and entire body. In addition, one small and one larger cream-colored spot can be seen on the wings.

Flower praying mantis (Indian)

Creobroter gemmatus is common in the forests of Vietnam, South India and other Asian countries. This view is no different large size: females grow up to only four centimeters, and males are slightly smaller. The body is elongated. For additional protection from enemies, special spikes of various heights are located on the hips of representatives of this species.«>

orchid mantis

It seems to us that this is the most spectacular praying mantis. It got its name for a reason - for the amazing resemblance to beautiful flowers, orchids. It is on them that the insect sets up an ambush in anticipation of the victim. Females of this species are twice as large as males: eight and four centimeters. Orchid praying mantises, even among their brethren, are distinguished by amazing courage: they attack even insects that are more than twice their size.

spiny flower mantis

Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii is an inhabitant of Africa. It closely resembles the Indian flower mantis. Its color is especially interesting: on the upper pair of wings you can see a pattern that resembles a spiral. On the abdomen of the representatives of this species there are spines, which gave the name to the species. Representatives of this species are painted in cream shades. «>

They fly well, and both males and females, due to their low weight, besides, the wings of such insects are well developed. Interestingly, these insects have spots on them that resemble an eye with two pupils, which, according to researchers, can scare away predators. Representatives of the species live in the flowers of plants, where they lie in wait for their prey.

The history of the name of insects

In 1758, the Swedish traveler gave the name to these insects and scientist Karl Linnaeus, who drew attention to the usual pose of a praying mantis, which is in ambush and waits for its prey. It is very reminiscent of the pose of a praying person. The scientist named the insect Mantis religiosa, which can be translated as "religious priest". The name came to the Russian language modified - "praying mantis". True, it is not called that way everywhere: for example, in Spain it is called Caballito del Diablo, which translates as "the devil's horse". This somewhat eerie name is probably due to the habits of praying mantises.

Description of praying mantises

The insect has an elongated body, which distinguishes it from many arthropods. This is perhaps the only creature, which can easily rotate its triangular head 360°. Thanks to this, the praying mantis can see his enemy approaching from behind. The insect has only one ear, but despite this, the praying mantis does not complain about hearing.

Its eyes have a complex faceted structure and are located on the sides of the head, but in addition to them, the praying mantis has three more simple eyes located above the base of the whiskers. Antennae can be pinnate, filiform, or comb-like, depending on the species. Almost all species of praying mantises have well-developed wings, but males fly more often, females have significantly more weight which makes flying difficult.

Praying mantis wings are represented by two pairs: anterior and posterior. The first are the elytra, which practically protect the hindwings, which are quite brightly colored and often with original patterns. But the earthen praying mantis (Geomantis larvoides) has no wings at all.

Circulation in praying mantises is quite primitive, which is explained by an unusual respiratory system. The praying mantis receives oxygen through a complex system of tracheae, which are connected to spiracles (stigmas) located on the abdomen in the back and middle parts of the body. The trachea contains air sacs that increase ventilation of the respiratory system.

Color

Like many insects, praying mantises in nature have the ability to camouflage to protect themselves from enemies. They change body color depending on the habitat: yellow, brown, green. Brown insects are inseparable from the bark of trees, while green ones live on green leaves.

What does a praying mantis eat?

It should be noted that the praying mantis is a predator that feeds on smaller insects and is not afraid to attack prey larger than itself. Flies and mosquitoes, wasps and bees, butterflies and bumblebees, beetles - this is all that the praying mantis eats. Larger species are able to attack even small birds, rodents and small amphibians: lizards, frogs.

Praying mantises attack their prey from an ambush, swiftly grab it with their front paws and do not let go until they have completely eaten it.

Mantis lifestyle

Having dealt with what the praying mantis eats, it is necessary to get acquainted with how the life of this insect is organized. praying mantis leads sedentary life, settling in one territory for a long time. If there is enough food around, the insect can spend its entire life on one plant or tree branch.

Despite the fact that praying mantises fly well and have two pairs of wings, they rarely use them, preferring to use their long limbs for movement. Males fly mainly at night, flying from branch to branch. In addition, they move from tier to tier, at the foot of tall trees and on the tops of crowns, depending on where the praying mantises live.

We talked about the fact that these insects do not tolerate cold. Therefore, the question arises of how the praying mantis hibernates. He experiences the cold period of time in the form of diapausing eggs, the laying of which begins in the summer and ends late autumn. A clutch can contain up to 300 eggs. They are until spring in a capsule and easily tolerate frosts up to 18 ° C.

Praying mantis breeding

With the beginning of the mating season (as a rule, it falls on autumn), the praying mantis males, using their sense of smell, begin to search for females that are ready to mate. Having found his chosen one, the male performs a “marriage dance” in front of her, which automatically turns him into a sexual partner. After this, mating begins, during which the female praying mantis bites off the male's head and then completely eats him.

Scientists believe that this behavior has biological causes. By eating her "groom", the female replenishes the supply of protein nutrients that are necessary for future offspring. In rare cases, the male manages to leave the bloodthirsty chosen one in time and avoids the sad fate.

After some time, the female lays eggs, enveloping their entire surface with a special sticky secret that she secretes from the glands. For eggs, this is a kind of protective capsule, which is called ootheca. The fertility of each female largely depends on the species. As a rule, one clutch consists of 300-400 eggs. In eggs treated in this way, insect larvae stay from three weeks to six months, after which they crawl out of them on their own. Then their development proceeds rapidly, and after four to eight molts the larva turns into an adult praying mantis.

The stories associated with the praying mantis are mythical legends and mysteries. Many people still don’t really know what the praying mantis eats. After all, there are rumors about the incredible cruelty and aggressiveness of these creatures. I wonder if they really eat each other? It's time to figure out what the mantis beetle actually eats.

The insect belongs to the order of cockroaches. It has impressive dimensions, and the female is twice as large as the male - her body reaches 50-75 mm, while the male individual is only 40-50 mm tall. To understand what the praying mantis eats, just look at the structure of his body. The insect has massive, well-developed forelimbs with sharp spines. Grasping legs are needed for hunting, and sharp spikes, like knives, pierce the victim. The hind legs are used for locomotion. From this follows the conclusion that praying mantises eat far from plant foods. These are real predators who hunt down their prey from an ambush.

You can meet an ordinary praying mantis in the tropics and subtropics. In Russia, it is common for Black Sea coast and in the Crimea, there are species inhabiting Far East and south of Siberia. In their usual habitat: on the branches of trees and in the grass, praying mantises are well camouflaged. They merge with green foliage, take off if necessary. Females and males have equally developed wings. But they rarely fly. Tree mantises may not leave their favorite place all their lives. The main condition is that there is always food. The fact is that the praying mantis eats mostly small insects, which are half the size of himself. At the same time, the diet of females and males does not differ. At the same time, rumors about the voracity of the female during i mating are confirmed.

There are several hypotheses explaining why the mating ends with the female praying mantis tearing off her partner's head. One of the versions is that the female is simply hungry and aggressive, which is why she eats her partner.

But there is a more original hypothesis, which is based on the fact that the hunger of the female has nothing to do with it. Some males, having reached their chosen one, jump on their backs and start mating, but they are not able to complete it due to inhibitory impulses coming from the head. For this reason, the female simply tears off her partner's head, as a result of which the male finally fertilizes his cruel partner.

In all likelihood, this fact leads many to think that cannibalism is common among praying mantises. This is partly true, although the answer to the question of what the praying mantis eats is quite banal. Food for these cockroaches is any living organism that does not exceed in size. In terrariums, it can even be meat and small lizards. The praying mantis is afraid of too large prey, therefore it does not hunt for it.

To catch up with its prey, a predatory insect can pursue it for a long time, try to jump from its back and grab its head. It also starts eating the caught prey from the head. Adults are very voracious - at one time the male can eat 7-8 cockroaches 1 cm long. The hungrier the praying mantis, the more aggressively it will behave and react to every movement. When satiated, the insects become lethargic and stop hunting for a while.

Praying mantises have become famous in the animal kingdom due to the special relationship between females and males. As you know, female individuals kill their partner.

Immediately after the start of copulation, females deprive their partner of the head by biting it off. At the same time, sexual intercourse, in principle, continues, since the male's seed continues to be transmitted to the female for some time. As a result, the female lays at least ten, maximum four hundred eggs, which are stored in a special capsule made of foamy protein raw materials, referred to as scientific world like an ooteku. Then the female hangs the capsule on a blade of grass or a tree branch, and she goes to finish eating the father of her children.

Before proceeding to describe the reasons for such a strange behavior of females, let's see what mantises are.

Firstly, these are predatory insects, the dimensions of which are within five centimeters. Praying mantises have a well-developed aircraft, but they rarely use it. By appearance resemble long green leaves, although brown, yellow and other variations are found in nature. These insects inhabit tropical and subtropical belts our planet.

It is widely believed that most praying mantises spend their lives in the grass, but this is far from the case. You can find them on trees, flowers. Ordinary praying mantises are real defenders of nature, destroying various pests, but the flower ones themselves are such. Because they eat pollinating insects while sitting on flowers.

Praying mantises are excellent hunters, despite the fact that nature has deprived them of their size, she has given them steel patience. It is because of this that they can spend hours in one position waiting for the victim. And as a rule, their hunting brings the desired results. The position of the body at the moment of hunting resembles a human prayer posture. Therefore, the insect has such an unusual name.

Males are much smaller than females, so the latter pose a huge threat to them.

Praying mantises can save their lives only if their lady ate enough before mating, or the male overtook his companion during the hunt and managed to take a waiting, and then dominant position, and quickly disappeared at the end of intercourse. At the same time, hungry females attract more males, as they are able to excrete a large number of pheromones. It is for such ladies that males arrange real duels, fights not for life, but for death.

So, now let's move on to the main question, what still pushes the females to such desperate actions. We, based on a number of studied scientific articles, identified two factors:

1. Increased sperm flow and quantity. The female, in order to obtain the partner's seed, specially bites off his head during intercourse. This, in turn, speeds up the movement of the partner and the amount of sperm doubles. Why is that? It's simple, the nerve endings located in the abdomen of the male are responsible for the reproductive function;
2. Valuable protein for egg development. In order to enrich her body and future offspring with a sufficient amount of protein, the female takes such measures, sacrificing the male.