THE ANIMAL FILES

European mantis

Mantis religiosa

Folded forelegs are hunting equipment.

The European mantis can look still while actively watching for prey. Its folded front legs open into a rapid grasp, and a different posture reveals startling spots. Quiet camouflage and conspicuous defense are not contradictory: they can serve different stages of the same encounter.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
European mantis
Image: Didier Descouens · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Capture
Spined raptorial forelegs[1]
Defense
Paired spots revealed by a changed posture[1]
Variation
Green, brown and other color forms[1]

A grasp that closes a trap

During a strike, the front legs extend rapidly and trap prey between opposing spined segments. Strong jaws then handle the captured animal. The folded resting pose is therefore a starting position for a mechanical action, not evidence of inactivity. Movement of prey and its size relative to the mantis influence what can be captured.[1]

Suddenly looking bigger

A defensive display spreads the wings and changes the foreleg position, revealing dark spots with pale centers near the leg bases. This can startle a potential predator and offer an opportunity to escape. A display should be interpreted in context: becoming noticeable can be useful after concealment has already failed.[1]

Color is not a simple switch

Green and brown forms have prompted several competing explanations. Research has not established a universally accepted mechanism for matching a newly chosen background. Observing a color match is different from proving how it developed.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Does the folded pose mean it is praying rather than hunting?

The pose resembles folded hands to human observers, but those legs are specialized capture structures. A familiar-looking posture does not determine its biological function.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why might the same mantis hide first and then reveal bright spots?

Reveal the explanation

Concealment reduces detection, while a startling display may help after detection. Different stages of an encounter can favor different tactics.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Mantis religiosa (adapted and translated; exact revision)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Mantis religiosa (identity and game lineage)

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

American cockroachA name can travel farther than an animal’s origins.Periplaneta americana ↗Formosan subterranean termiteWood feeds a colony through its workers.Coptotermes formosanus ↗American bird grasshopperThe same grasshopper can grow up in different colours.Schistocerca americana ↗