Praying Mantis picture from Pinterest
It has been 3 weeks since I last wrote and I have missed it so much... It feels good to be writing again! Seeing this little being dancing on my windshield made my evening and I decided that the Terra Mater post will definitely be about the praying mantis.
The Praying Mantis or Mantid is an insect related to grasshoppers and crickets. I wrote a short post on grasshoppers a few weeks ago, link here. The Praying Mantis usually thrives in warm, and subtropical climates. It can eat frogs, small lizards and even tiny birds. The female carries her eggs with her for a while and then deposits them in a cluster from which the nymphs will hatch when it's their time. Once the nymph has matured, it will show wings that look like wrinkled fabric at first.
These creatures have triangular-shaped faces that resemble our perspective of alien-formed heads. Their eyesight is pretty amazing as they can turn their heads 180 degrees and they also see in 3D. This helps them scan their surroundings for any predators or prey. The females are larger than the males and live longer. The stories of the female mantis killing and eating its impregnator during or after mating are only true in less than 20% of the cases. When mantids show sometimes cannibalistic behavior and eat other mantises, it is thought to be an additional source of nutrients for their eggs.
This amazing fellow features an ear located on the underside of its stomach and it can detect ultrasounds, which helps them avoid/escape bats. They are themselves very good hunters and precision jumpers, remaining perfectly still until their prey is close enough for them to capture it. They camouflage with their surroundings and don't shy at attacking small mammals. If you are lucky enough to spot one hunting something larger than its own size, you will see it rear up on its back legs, hold out its front arms, and flip its wings to appear bigger. The attack is executed at lightening speed so you probably need a camera to catch the details. The Praying Mantis is not a pest. Usually. Since it will actually eat insects that are harmful to crops, such as beetles, crickets and grasshoppers. At times, it might consume pollinating bees, which is not so cool for us humans. But the lifespan of a mantid is rather short. They usually do not survive for more than a year. So if you were planning on keeping one, or more, as pets, think again!
What is the spiritual meaning of spotting a praying mantis? It is often thought that mantises represent trust, introspection into your higher self, new perspectives, intuitive abilities, and spiritual connection. It is often a sign that energies from other dimensions are sending you a message a message to trust your inner guidance and to be patient for things to unfold. In Greek, mantis signifies "seer" or "prophet". In Ancient Greece, lost travelers were helped by praying mantis to get back to safety. In Ancient Egypt, this "god" assisted those who passed away to reach the underworld. On a less macabre note, this living thing points out that all solutions we seek are inside of us, that it is time to be patient, to contemplate and meditate, be mindful of the physical world to let our inner wisdom be our compass. Many cultures consider praying mantises as a symbol of good luck, as they precede new beginnings.
