Why Does Praying Mantis Eat Its Partner?

Mantis is an insect which has around 2,000 different species. They are known for their specific hands, and the overall look of the body and the head. Adult forms have wings, while males are better flyers than females because they weigh less. The female mantis is also called praying mantis.

Believe it or not, the mantis is a very greedy and voracious creature. They eat whatever they can find and catch.

The most famous of the thousands of species of mantis is Sphodromantis viridis. Their unusual body helps them hide and defend themselves from the enemies. You’ll remember this species, but not by their name or unusual body. Namely, the praying mantis of this specie eats the male during the mating. This has a name - sexual cannibalism. But why does it happen?

Scientists discovered this strange appearance when they discovered the species itself. The interesting thing here is that mating continues even after the female bites off the male’s head. The praying mantis does that by turning her body over for 180 degrees. The female does that because only that way the male could do the fertilization.

But this unusual case doesn’t happen often in nature. That’s why scientists don’t know yet why it occurs exactly.