Caochong village mantis

Mantis, also known as knife mantis, is an invertebrate and belongs to Mantidae, a winged subclass of Insecta. It is a medium to large insect with a triangular head, which can move freely, and its compound eyes are big and bright. The antenna is slender; The neck can rotate freely. The leg joints and tibial joints of the forefoot are prickly, and the tibial joints are sickle-shaped and often fold to the leg joints to form the forefoot that can catch prey; The anterior wing cortex is covered with wings, lacking the anterior domain, the posterior wing is membranous, and the gluteal domain is developed into a fan, which folds on the back at rest; Abdominal hypertrophy. Except in extremely cold regions, it is widely distributed all over the world, especially in tropical regions. There are about 1585 species known in the world. About 5 1 species is known in China. Among them, southern mantis, northern mantis, broad-axe mantis, Chinese mantis, European mantis and green-spotted mantis are important natural enemies of pests in agriculture, forests, fruit trees and ornamental plants in China. Mantis is very long, mostly green, but also brown or spotted. The compound eye was prominent, with 3 eyes in one eye. Chew the mouthparts, and the upper jaw is strong. Grasp the feet with the front feet, and the middle and rear feet are suitable for walking. Gradually pervert. Eggs are laid in egg sheaths, and there are 20 ~ 40 eggs in each egg sheath, arranged in 2 ~ 4 rows. Each female insect can produce 4 ~ 5 egg sheaths, which are hardened by foamy secretions and attached to branches, bark, walls and other objects. The newly hatched nymph is a "pre-nymph", and it will become an adult only after peeling it for 3 ~ 12 times. Generally 1 year 1 generation, some species parthenogenesis. Eating meat and hunting all kinds of insects and small animals can eliminate many pests in fields and forest areas, so it is beneficial. Sexual abuse and aggression, lack of food often lead to the phenomenon of swallowing snacks and females eating males. Individual species distributed in South America sometimes attack small animals such as birds, lizards or frogs. Mantis has protective color, and some are mimicry, which is similar to its environment, thus preying on a variety of pests.

The English name is mantid. Also called mantis, mantis or mantis. There are nearly 2000 species of large slow-moving insects in Mantidae, which are characterized by a long chest (upper part), a groove on the ventral surface of the thigh joint of the forefoot, spines on both sides of the groove, and the tibiofibular joint (lower part) can be embedded in the groove. It only eats live worms and holds its prey firmly with its prickly front feet. When you are frightened, your wings will rustle and you will show a bright warning color. Common in plants rather than on the ground, the shape can be green leaves or brown dead leaves, twigs, lichens, flowers or ants. Relying on mimicry can not only avoid natural enemies, but also be difficult to be found when approaching or waiting for prey. Females often feed on males after mating, and the eggs laid in the egg sheath can protect them from bad weather or natural enemies, and the number of eggs is about 200. Nymphs (wingless adults) hatch at the same time and often kill each other.

Mostly distributed in tropics and subtropics. The representatives of Europe are mantis (religious mantis [is the most widely distributed species]), Ameles, Iris and Empusa. North American genera include stagno Mantis (S. Carolina), Litaneutria (L. minor is a small western species, the only mantis native to Canada), Thesprotia (slender) and Oligonicella (slender). Mantis gracilis, Iris Millennium, Pelargonium angustifolia and Pelargonium chinense have been introduced to North America. China mantis is very common in China. It is native to many places in East Asia and is the largest mantis in North America, with a body length of 7? 10 cm.

The English name of "mantis" comes from Greek, which means "soothsayer", because the ancient Greeks thought mantis had supernatural power. The current name "mantid" (Greek meaning "fortune teller") also reflects this view. Mantis can stand still or swing gracefully back and forth, raise its head and stretch out its front feet as if praying, from which many myths and legends are derived. According to superstition, mantis's brown saliva can make people blind, and horses or mules will die if they eat mantis. The English common name "praying mantid" and scientific name "Mantis religiosa" of Mantis, as well as its German name "Gottesanbeterin", French name "prie-Dieu", Provence name "prega- Ou Di" and West Indies name "Shenma" are all related to religious piety. Other common names are devil horse and mule killer.

Entomologists have different views on the classification of undergraduate courses. Although it is generally classified as mantodea of Orthoptera, it can also be classified as mantodea, or it can be classified as Netherptera with cockroaches (also with egg sheaths).

The chest has 2 pairs of wings and 3 pairs of feet; The chest is slender, the front foot is 1 pair of thick sickle-shaped feet, and there are hooks and thorns on the leg joints and tibial joints, which can catch pests, so it is a beneficial insect. There is an auditory organ at the bottom of the hind foot. Females are bigger than males in appetite, food intake and catching ability, and sometimes they can eat males. Female insects lay eggs in a special way, neither underground nor in plant stems, but on the surface of branches. Two days after mating, females usually face down, first discharging foamy substances from the abdomen, and then laying eggs on them in turn. The foam-like substance solidifies rapidly, forming a hard egg sheath. The traditional Chinese medicine in the egg sheath is called "ootheca ootheca" or "ootheca ootheca ootheca". In the early summer of the following year, hundreds of nymphs hatched from the egg sheath. The nymph molts several times and develops into an adult. For an incomplete pervert. The common China green mantis (Paraten-odera sinensis), commonly known as "big knife mantis", is about 8 cm long and green or yellowish brown; The spotted snail is 5 ~ 6.5 cm long and is grayish brown or dark brown.

Feeding and its value

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First, artificial efficient large-scale feeding technology.

At present, there are more than 30 mature artificial feeding techniques.

Provenance collection: Many species of mantis lay eggs on branches, trunks, grass stems, walls or stones for the winter. Generally, egg collection can begin from September to February of the following year. When selecting eggs, choose high-quality healthy eggs with large egg pieces, thick surface protective layer, strong luster, no cracks, abrasions and holes eaten by parasites outside the egg pieces, cut off a section of branches adhered to the egg pieces and insert them into a jar with a little water. Before the eggs in the incubation sheath begin to hatch (before the temperature rises to 20℃), preparations should be made before feeding.

Insect-eating: Mantis belongs to predatory insects and likes to catch living insects, especially small insects in motion. If there are no live nymphs, it is difficult to raise them successfully. Therefore, before mantis eggs hatch, live insect feed, such as aphids and houseflies, should be prepared. Aphids are extremely fertile and easy to raise. Cruciferae plants can be planted in flowerpots or small plastic beds in advance, and aphids can be inoculated for reproduction after emergence. Other feed insects include big wax borer, corn borer, cabbage butterfly, Eupolyphaga, Tenebrio molitor, etc.

Artificial ingredients: mantis nymphs eat a lot after the third instar, and the limited live bait is difficult to meet the needs. Therefore, artificial feed must be prepared. There are three successful artificial feed formulas:

Formula 1: firstly, pour 250ml of clear water into a container, take a small amount of water from it, mash 5g of yeast slices and put them into water to dissolve, then pour 50g of egg yolk, 20g of honey and 20g of sucrose, stir them thoroughly and evenly, steam them in a pot, and let them cool for later use.

Formula 2: Clean 100g fresh pig liver (liver of other animals can also be used) and chop it into paste, add 50g sucrose and mix well for later use.

Formula 3: water 100ml, fresh pork liver 40g, aphid powder 20g, bean powder 5g, sucrose 20g, agar 20g, yeast slice1g.

When using the above three formulas, great attention should be paid to hygiene and disinfection. After the prepared feed is cooled, it can be stored in the refrigerator for a short time and taken when needed. If it is raised in large quantities, it is best to prepare it every other day according to the dosage.

Feeding management: mantis has the habit of killing each other, so it is difficult to keep it in captivity. Outdoor culture should be covered with 12m× 6m× 2m. Dwarf trees and cotton should be transplanted and planted in cages for mantis to inhabit, thus reducing contact opportunities and avoiding cannibalism. At the same time, feed with artificial paste feed. The Institute of Entomology of Shandong Agricultural University feeds mantis with feed insects Tenebrio molitor larvae and flies, which can complete growth and lay eggs.

Environmental control: artificial anti-season cultivation, breaking dormancy, simulating temperature and humidity, artificially creating natural conditions, and irradiating 250 watts of infrared and ultraviolet rays every day.

Harvesting and processing: harvesting from autumn to next spring. Cleaning impurities after harvesting, soaking or cooking in boiling water for 30-40 minutes, killing eggs in the egg sheath, steaming thoroughly, drying in the sun or drying to obtain the traditional Chinese medicine Ootheca Mantidis for later use or sale. You must pay attention to killing eggs, otherwise the efficacy will be reduced and the quality will be affected after hatching larvae.

Processing: clean protozoa, mix well with 2%-5% salt solution, moisten, steam for 2 hours, take out, dry in the sun or stir-fry with slow fire.

Second, economic utilization.

Medicinal value: ootheca mantidis is the egg sheath of mantis insects. Ootheca mantidis contains 18 amino acids, of which 8 are essential for human body and 7 are phospholipids. Ootheca mantidis has the effects of anti-urinary frequency and convergence. Phospholipids can alleviate atherosclerosis and promote the development of red blood cells and the synthesis of other cell membranes. Ootheca Mantidis is sweet, salty, warm and nontoxic, and enters the liver and kidney meridians. Has the effects of tonifying kidney, strengthening yang, consolidating semen and reducing urine. Indications include enuresis, nocturnal emission, frequent defecation, lumbago due to kidney deficiency, and neurasthenia. It is also suitable for women with leukorrhagia and irregular menstruation. The market price of ootheca mantidis has reached 60-80 yuan/kg.

Besides ootheca mantidis, mantis can also be used as medicine, that is, dry adult mantis can be used as medicine. Mantis has the functions of nourishing and strengthening the body, tonifying kidney and essence, relieving convulsion and spasticity. Indications: impotence, nocturnal emission, convulsion, enuresis, hemorrhoids and neurasthenia. Clinical application is mainly combined with other drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Biocontrol value: Mantis can prey on more than 40 kinds of pests, such as eggs, larvae, naked pupae, adults of small insects such as flies, mosquitoes, locusts, cutworms, moths and butterflies, and large insects such as cicadas and locusts.

Edible value: Mantis is a nutritious and high-protein edible insect.

Ornamental value: Through artificial anti-season cultivation, people can watch mantis all year round. Mantis is also a good material for building small zoos and wild insect gardens.

Mantis broadsword

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Sword mantis

English name: Chinese mantid

It belongs to Mantidae of mantodea.

Body length 70- 100 mm, large, all green or brown. The head is triangular with short antennae.

Mantodea insects, commonly known as mantis, broadsword mantis and axe-rejecting mantis, are relatively old insects, and their morphological structure is almost similar to that of fossil mantis 40 million years ago. Mantis is often mimicry and protective, including green leaves, dead leaves, flowers or bamboo joints. Mantis is a kind of abnormal insect. Eggs are called ebony, and mulberry trees are called ebony, which can be used as medicine. Mantis is carnivorous, fierce and aggressive, with a wide range of feeding and a large appetite. It preys on many pests in agriculture and forest areas and is the natural enemy of many pests.

Distribution: All parts of China.

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Mantis in mating

1984, two scientists, Scott and Davis, observed the mating of mantis in the laboratory, but made some improvements: they fed mantis in advance and dimmed the lights to let mantis enjoy it. People use cameras to record, not watch. The result was unexpected: in thirty copulations, none of them ate each other. Instead, for the first time, they recorded the complex courtship ceremony of Mantis: male and female dancing together, and the whole process was as short as 10 minute and as long as two hours. Risk and Davis believe that one of the reasons why people have frequently observed mantis eating her husband in the laboratory before is that, under direct observation, mantis without "privacy" has no chance to hold courtship ceremony, which can eliminate the malice of female mantis and is a necessary condition for male mantis to mate successfully. Another reason is that the mantis fed in the laboratory is often hungry, and the mother mantis treats her husband as delicious when she is hungry. To prove this, Riske and Davis did a series of experiments in 1987. They found that those female mantises who were in a state of high hunger (they had been hungry for 5 to 1 1 day) jumped on male mantises to grab food, and had no intention of copulation at all. A moderately hungry female mantis will mate, but will try to eat her mate during or after mating. And those females who are not hungry don't want to eat their spouses. It can be seen that the mother mantis's main motive for eating her husband is because of hunger. But in the wild, not all females can eat their bellies, so it is still possible to eat their husbands. 1992, S.E.Lawrence conducted the first large-scale field study on the mating behavior of European mantis in Portugal. About 3 1% of the mating phenomenon of mantis observed by him have eaten their husbands. In the wild, the female mantis may be moderately hungry. Eating the male mantis is really good for the offspring of mantis. A study of 1988 shows that the number of offspring of female mantis who eat their spouses is 20% more than that of those who don't. Risk and Davis also admitted that the phenomenon of European mantis eating husbands may be far more common than other mantis, and they gave mantis a bad name. However, it is obvious that the male mantis was not eaten willingly.

About two years ago, the United States published an advanced textbook called Sex and Death: An Introduction to Biophilosophy. This book introduces and discusses very professional philosophical issues such as "evolution" and "genes", which have nothing to do with sex and death. Why use such a topic? The author explained that "because this topic is very interesting" and "the biological world is wonderful and weird, at least more weird than we can imagine." In fact, the author can make it more clear: because sex and death are eternal themes in biology, just as love and death are eternal themes in literary works.

Asexual creatures can live forever through continuous division, but sexual creatures will die. Sex is the resistance to death and the beginning of a new life. These two opposing forces sometimes combine strangely. For example, the so-called "sexual cannibalism" can sometimes be observed in arachnids and insects, that is, before and after mating, or even during mating, females eat mating males. The most famous example is of course mantis. The first description of a female mantis killing her husband appeared in a German book published by 1658. 1886, an American entomologist reported a strange scene he saw in the laboratory. The female mantis ate the head of the male mantis before mating, but the headless male mantis still managed to mate. This may be the first scientific document on this phenomenon. Later, Fabres also described the situation that mantis killed her husband in Insects:

"However, in fact, mantis even has the habit of eating her husband. This is really amazing! When the female mantis eats her husband, she will bite his head and neck first, and then eat it bit by bit. In the end, only her husband's two thin wings were left. This is unbelievable. " From this description, we don't know whether Fabres saw it with his own eyes or just relayed a recognized fact. In any case, with the popularity of insects, the notoriety of female mantis "killing husband" (or, more accurately, "eating husband") and the reputation of male mantis "double suicide" are well known. Biologists even try to demonstrate the rationality of "eating husbands".

Some people say that female mantis needs a lot of energy to lay eggs, and the meat of male mantis is an excellent energy source. The decapitated male mantis can mate, which has been confirmed by experiments, because the nerve that controls mating is not in the head, but in the abdomen. Moreover, because some nerve suppression centers are located in the head, eating the head will help to enhance men's sexual ability. It's hard for a male mantis not to die.

However, few people have observed the mother mantis eating her husband in the wild. The mantis we are talking about is the general name of a large class of insects (mantodea, an order under Insecta), including 1500 kinds of mantis with different forms and different ecology. Most species of mantis are not observed to eat their husbands, and this reputation is mainly attributed to two widely distributed species of mantis: China mantis and European mantis.

The above two kinds of mantis do not necessarily eat their husbands. Scientists have found that those females who are highly hungry (already hungry for 5 to 1 1 day) pounce on the male mantis to eat, and have no intention of mating at all. A moderately hungry female mantis will mate, but will try to eat her mate during or after mating. And those females who are not hungry don't want to eat their spouses.

However, the phenomenon of eating husbands reported by researchers was observed in the laboratory. In this case, frightened animals usually behave abnormally. Is this really the case in the natural state? Is this really cannibalism related to reproduction, or is it simply cannibalism to fill the stomach? No one denies that mantis do kill each other, and much smaller male mantis can easily become the victim of female mantis. The question is whether this has reproductive significance.

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