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BIOLOGY

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Mantids are avid predators. They will take flies, bees, wasps, small butterflies and just about any moderately or lightly chitonized insect are eaten. All species are well camouflaged and this allows them to approach prey unnoticed. Prey is captured with raptorial forelegs and eaten alive. Eggs: The eggs are laid in frothy masses attached to vegetation, rocks or other substrates. These masses harden into cases called "ootheca" and are like papermache in texture. Each ootheca may contain 200 or more eggs. Adults are for the most part nocturnal and are readily attracted to lights. Sometimes the mantids are classed along with cockroaches, and termites (Order: Isoptera) into the order Dictyoptera, as it is thought by some these insects all evolved from some cockroach-like ancestor.

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