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Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/873551
44 NEBRASKAland • OCTOBER 2017 spiked legs and proceeds to gnaw its head off. It then chews and swallows the more nutritious parts of its prey while discarding the rest as it goes. Nebraska's Mantises In Nebraska, there are three species of large praying mantises (and a few smaller "ground mantids" in the western part of the state). Of those three large species, the biggest is the Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis), which can reach lengths of 4½ inches. The Chinese mantis is an introduced species to North America and Nebraska, along with its smaller colleague, the European mantis (Mantis religiosa). The Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis carolina) is native to Nebraska and is the smallest of the three, only reaching lengths of a little more than 2 inches. All three can be variable in coloration, but are usually found in combinations of green, gray and/or brown. The Chinese mantis was first introduced to the United States near Philadelphia in 1896. It is now found in much of North America, from Nebraska eastward. It has been commonly introduced in various locations for pest control. However, its effectiveness in that role is limited, and potentially even counterproductive. Mantises are certainly extremely capable predators, but they don't typically occur in sufficient abundance to control outbreaks of pest insects. In addition, they are just as likely to kill and eat insects such as bees, butterflies and other species gardeners and farmers would like to keep around. It's not clear whether or not Chinese mantises have any negative impact on populations of the native Carolina mantis or other insects. Because of their size and fighting ability, praying mantises have relatively few enemies among their insect peers. However, they can be caught and eaten by vertebrates such as frogs, lizards and birds, as well as invertebrates such as ants and spiders. In its native Asian range, the big Chinese mantis is hunted by the appropriately named Asian giant hornet, the largest hornet in the world. Mantis Senses Mantises have acute eyesight, helping them both in hunting and in avoiding detection by potential predators. Their large, compound eyes are located on either side of their broad head, giving them stereoscopic vision. The fovea, a small area toward the front of the eye, enables increased visual acuity when mantises are trying to see their prey clearly, and their ability to rotate their head allows them to follow prey as it moves. Mantises have what appears to be a dark pupil on their eyes, but that spot is really a "pseudopupil" – not a functional pupil – and is caused by the way light is absorbed and reflected by the component parts of the compound eye. Similar to many other insect species, mantises also have three "ocelli," or simple eyes, arranged in a triangular formation near the base of their antennae. The exact function of these ocelli in insects is unknown, but it's thought that they likely help with orientation, navigation or predator detection. While keen eyesight is an important part of their lives, praying mantises don't appear to use hearing as an important way to help find prey or mates. While most animals have two ears, mantises actually hear sounds Egg cases (ootheca) of the Chinese praying mantis can contain up to 400 eggs.