Towards mid-September, it’s still summer heat, even when the nights are already cold. A few days ago, a few hours before sunset, I met a strange alien-like creature on the nearby pastures, watching my camera with a creepy look. It was scary, but luckily small and very rare.
The praying mantis (Mantis religiosa)is a member of the order of cephalopods, the only species in the family of praying mantis (Mantidae) that is native to Hungary.
The praying mantis loves warm, dry, bushy-grassy areas, much like the south-facing, sunny but not barren sides of the hills. It can be found in Central Europe, including Hungary, and many subspecies occur on almost all continents. Though they look like a locust, they are not closely related to real locusts, their closest relatives being cockroaches and termites.
The word mantis means fortune teller, as it refers to the term mantis ha kalamaia described by Theocritus - which essentially means fortune teller sitting in reeds. It is also considered by Muslim traditions, according to them it always points towards Mecca with its gripping legs. In Hungary, the praying locust is protected, and in 2012 it was even chosen as the insect of the year.
Hehe, the reproduction rituals of the mantis are legendary 😂 .. Thank you for this interesting and informative read ^^