Praying Mantis 



When a praying mantis is in the apple tree com- 

 munity, the ancient law of tooth and claw prevails. 

 Standing on four powerful hind legs with head erect and 

 two saw-toothed forelegs ready to strike, the mantis 

 seems to be a creature out of the past, a miniature of the 

 prehistoric monsters that once stalked these lands. 



The wings of the mantis are often leaf green, while its 

 body and legs may have the same brown color as the 

 twigs on which this killer perches. That protective 

 coloration and a slow, stealthy mantis stride permit the 

 hunter to approach its prey undetected. 



Its aim is deadly. When an insect strays within strik- 

 ing distance, the mantis squares for the attack. Then 

 with flashing speed and accuracy, out shoot its strong 

 forelegs to clutch the victim. Once caught, the insect is 

 pierced by the sharp spines that cover the forelegs; and 

 even before the prey ceases to struggle, the feast is on. 

 It goes on until every particle of the victim, except dry 

 wings and legs, is eaten. 



In late fall the female mantis prepares a frothy cocoon 

 on a weed stalk or on a low bush near the apple tree. In 

 it she places as many as two hundred eggs; then the 

 cocoon hardens. When the baby mantids hatch in the 

 following spring, they are spritely little fellows with 

 beady eyes and straw-colored bodies. Before they seek 

 even their first food they know how to rear up on their 

 hind legs and assume the familiar praying attitude of the 

 adult mantis. 



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