A couple of days ago, my family and I were going to go out to eat.  When we drove our car out of our garage, we saw something on our garage door.  We got out of our car to get a closer look.  It was huge!  It was a bug!  It was a Praying Mantis!  It was so cool!

I did some research on Praying Mantises, and here’s what I found out.  They are called Praying Mantises because their front legs make them look like they are praying.  Praying Mantises are usually green or tan.  They can change colors to blend in with different plants.  They have six legs, a head, thorax, an abdomen, 2 big eyes, 2 antennae, and an exoskeleton.  They can turn their head in almost a full circle.  When I was looking at the Praying Mantis on our garage, it seemed to follow me with its head.  When I went to the right of it, it turned its head to the right; and when I went to the left of it, it turned its head to the left.

The Praying Mantis I found was probably a female, based on its size.  Males are 2 -6 inches long.  Females are larger than the males.  The Mantis I saw wage huge!!

Praying Mantises only eat living insects.  The spines on its front legs help the Mantis hold its prey in from escaping.  Praying Mantises don’t use their front legs for walking much, but they use them to scare away enemies and catch prey.  The predators of the Praying Mantis are bats, birds, and wasps.  I think Praying Mantises are really cool!

I hope you liked my article.  For more fun articles, keep coming to KIDS CORNER!