Down here in the sunshine state, Summertime is Bug Time! It’s really that simple. Spring is bad too! Well, not bad. Just it lets the bug populations really boom. And honestly, that’s kind of a good thing! At least in the case of many species of insects. And today we’ll talk about a rather popular but not often understood insect. We’ll discuss the Tampa Praying Mantis. We’ll talk about what they are, what they do, and whether or not they’re pests.
Tampa Praying Mantis: Overview
How they Hunt
One of the most easily recognized insect predators in the entire world is the Tampa praying mantis. This insect is in a family with multiple members, with eleven of them occurring naturally in the Sunshine State. There are two other members of this family, 2400 in total, that have been introduced to Florida. But while exotic, they’re not considered invasive. Mantids are thought to have evolved about one hundred million years ago, possibly from a predatory cockroach with similar front legs. They’re closely related to roaches and termites. But will eat both if given the chance.
These bugs are equipped with tough, durable exoskeletons. Their tough outsides provide a basis for successful close-quarter combat and hunting. Further, these bugs have more advantages that make it unlikely for their prey to survive. This insect is a master at stealth and camouflage. But the ability to hide in plain sight is used to great effect. As well as this, Mantids are ambush predators which will lay in wait for a victim to deliver itself. On top of that, they have an instinctive ability to hide in areas with high amounts of prey species traffic. You’ll also see the mantis stay stock still for hours at a time. But when prey wanders close enough to this small insect, they strike with incredible speed.
The forelimbs of this creature are a set of deadly, spiked crushing limbs that can hold prey still while it’s being consumed. When prey steps into its vision, the mantis is a blur of motion that grabs the insect and holds it tight while it begins to consume its body. This bug is so deadly that the females even eat their mates after they’ve bred with them! They may even reach sizes that allow them to eat lizards, frogs, and small birds.
WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE
The Tampa praying mantis is a highly recognizable creature. Their bodies are large and long, with four legs on the abdomen and two larger legs that look more like arms. The large bug obviously got its name from those two front forelimbs, which look clasped together in prayer at a glance. But their mouthparts are to be feared as well since they easily cut through a tough exoskeleton of their prey.
This bug comes in a variety of colors, ranging from bright green to dark brown. And you may not know it, but the females of these species is actually the larger of the sexes. Some males may be able to fly, but the females are hefty and their wings are unable to hold their weight well. Instead, the ladies tend to use their wings in intimidating displays by fanning them out and raising their arms. Both genders have binocular vision, meaning they can look in two different directions at once. These insects appear to have tiny pupils, but those dots are actually photoreceptors that reflect no light colors.
The females of this species lay their flat, seed-shaped eggs on twigs and branches in the fall. Afterward, these eggs are coated in a hard foam that maintains moisture during dry winters, and deters birds and bugs from eating them. Then, in the spring, the eggs hatch and pale nymphs that look like mini-adults emerge and begin feasting on smaller insects, or even each other!
Tampa Praying Mantis: Is it a pest
On a whole, it’s easy to see that the Mantids are not an invasive pest. These insects are extremely beneficial in gardens. They eat a large volume of pest insects and can be a gardener’s best friend when they remove infestations of wasps and beetles. In fact, many garden shops will sell unhatched mantis eggs for you to purchase in the spring to release onto a plant in a garden to head off any pests before summer. Catching a glimpse of this stealthy predator is a rare and special thing. But if you see them, take only pictures and leave them to their work. It does a great service and is a benefit to its local ecosystem. If you need to capture them, make sure it’s on film and only on film.
Unfortunately, there are a few non-Tampa praying mantis species considered less than desirable. There are some “illegal” mantids that carry restrictions in the U.S. They are the spiny flower mantis, orchid mantis, wandering violin mantis, ghost mantis, devils flower mantis, and the Egyptian mantis among others. These species became restricted under the Non-Native Invasive Species Act of 1992. And the only real negative that comes with a praying mantis population is if it balloons out of control. Yes, these are overall beneficial to your garden. But they do eat everything, including other beneficial insects and bees. But nature has many good checks and balances against this, so you’ll likely never see an actual infestation of praying mantises.
Tampa Praying Mantis – Attracting Praying Mantis
If you’d like, it’s entirely possible to naturally attract Tampa praying mantis to your home garden. The first step in attracting praying mantis is simply to look carefully in your landscape, as there may be some of these garden friends already hiding nearby. Organically grown gardens are the best sites for finding or attracting praying mantis, so creating a bug-friendly environment is a surefire way to attract these natural predators. So keep in mind that pesticides used to kill insects can also have a killing effect on the mantis. Plants within the rose or raspberry family as well as by tall grasses and shrubbery that offers shelter are very enticing.
