OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaThe praying mantis is a big green or brown insect that stands very still. It holds its front legs up together like it is praying, and that is how it got its name! Praying mantises are amazing hunters.
Praying mantises can be green or brown to blend in with leaves and branches. They have a triangle-shaped head and big eyes. A praying mantis can turn its head almost all the way around to look behind it. It is the only insect that can do this!
The praying mantis is a great hunter. It waits very quietly on a plant until another bug comes close. Then it grabs the bug super fast with its strong front legs! Praying mantises eat flies, crickets, and other insects.
- Praying mantises help gardeners by eating pests.
- They catch their prey in the blink of an eye.
- Baby praying mantises look like tiny versions of the adults and start hunting right away!
