Praying Mantis

My Home: I am found in warm climates on

bushes, trees, houses or any structure

where I can find another insect for a

meal.

What I eat: I eat other insects.

What I look like: I can be green or brown, and

range 2 to 3 inches in length. I have a triangular

shaped head with a long torso and grasshopper type

back legs. My front legs have spines and are held

upright when I am still, which makes it look

like I am praying.

How I am born: I go through three

stages of development: egg, nymph and

adult. The female lays an egg case in the

fall that contains up to 300 eggs. I hatch in the

spring and emerge as a nymph, resembling a miniature

adult, except without wings. I will develop into an adult by

molting, shedding my skin. As an adult, my lifespan is

less than a year.

