Males of sexually cannibalistic species are thought to express behaviors that reduce the risk of being killed by the females. In several spider species the male modulates his approach to the female as a function of her feeding behavior. We tested this hypothesis in the preying mantid Mantis religiosa (L.). Males were placed behind perching females in a laboratory arena and their position was video-recorded. Females were presented with a prey item (prey-presentation period) and then either they were allowed to capture and eat the prey (“P” treatment), or the prey was removed before the female could capture it (“NP” treatment). For the next 10 min (between-prey-presentation period) the females ate the prey (P), or perched without moving (NP). Total speed of approach of males was over 6-times higher in the P treatment (2.3 cm/min) than in the NP treatment (0.4 cm/min). Speed in the prey-presentation period was higher in P than in NP (4.4 cm/min and 1.3 cm/min, respectively), which shows that seeing a female striking and/or grasping the prey in itself stimulated faster male approach. Approach speed in the between-prey presentation period was also higher in P than in NP (1.9 cm/min and 0.2 cm/min, respectively), which indicates that seeing a female feeding on the prey and/or cleaning her forelegs also stimulates male approach. We conclude that males of M. religiosa can assess the activity state of the females and respond to this information by modulating their speed of approach, probably reducing the risk of being detected and possibly cannibalized.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barrows, E. M. (1984). Perch sites and food of adult Chinese mantis (Dictyoptera: Mantidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 86: 898–901.
Elgar, M. A. (1992). Sexual cannibalism in spiders and other invertebrates. In Elgar, M. A. and Crespi, B. J. (eds.), Cannibalism: Ecology and Evolution among Diverse Taxa, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 129–155.
Fromhage, L., and Schneider, J. (2005). Safer sex with feeding females: Sexual conflict in a cannibalistic spider. Behav. Ecol. 16: 377–382.
Gemeno, C., Claramunt, J., and Dasca, J. (2005). Nocturnal calling behavior in mantids. J. Insect Behav. 18: 389–403.
Hurd, L. E. (1999). Ecology of preying mantids. In Prete, F. E., Wells, H., Wells, P., and Hurd, L. E. (eds.), The Praying Mantids, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, pp. 43–60.
Hurd, L. E., Prete, F. R., Jones, T. H., Singh, T. B., Jason, C. O., and Portman, R. T. (2004). First identification of a putative sex pheromone in a praying mantid. J. Chem. Ecol. 30: 155–166.
Inoue, T., and Matsura, T. (1983). Foraging strategy of a mantid, Paratenodera agustioennis S.: Mechanism of switching tactics between ambush and active search. Oecologia 56: 264–271.
Kynaston, S. E., McErlain-Ward, P., and Mill, P. J. (1994). Courtship, mating behaviour and sexual cannibalism in the praying mantis. Sphrodomantis lineola. Anim. Behav. 47: 739–741.
Lawrence, S. E. (1992). Sexual cannibalism in the preying mantid, Mantis religiosa: a field study. Anim. Behav. 43: 569–583.
Liske, E., and Davis, W. J. (1984). Sexual behaviour of the Chinese praying mantis. Anim. Behav. 32: 916–917.
Liske, E., and Mohren, W. (1984). Saccadic head movements of the praying mantis, with particular reference to visual and propioreceptive information. Physiol. Entomol. 9: 29–38.
Liske, E., and Davis, W. J. (1986). Behavioural suppression of head grooming in the male preying mantis during mating. Naturwissenschaften 73: 333–334.
Liske, E., and Davis, W. J. (1987). Courtship and mating behaviour of the Chinese praying mantis. Tenodera aridifolia sinensis. Anim. Behav. 35: 1524–1537.
Maxwell, M. R. (1998). Lifetime mating opportunities and male mating behaviour in sexually cannibalistic praying mantids. Anim. Behav. 55: 1011–1028.
Maxwell, M. R. (1999a). Mating behavior. In Prete, F. E., Wells, H., Wells, P., and Hurd, L. E. (eds.), The Praying Mantids, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, pp. 69–89.
Maxwell, M. R. (1999b). The risk of cannibalism and male mating behaviour in the mediterranean praying mantid. Iris oratoria. Behaviour 136: 205–219.
Moya-Laraño, J., Pascual, J., and Wise, D. H. (2004). Approach strategy by which male Mediterranean tarantulas adjust to the cannibalistic behaviour of females. Ethology 110: 717–724.
Perez, B. (2005). Calling behaviour in the female praying mantis. Hierodula patellifera. Physiol. Entomol. 30: 42–47.
Prenter, J., Elwood, R. W., and Montgomery, I. (1994). Male exploitation of female predatory behaviour reduces sexual cannibalism in male autumn spiders. Metellina segmentata. Anim. Behav. 47: 235–236.
Prete, F. R. and Hamilton, K. (1999). Prey capture. In Prete, F. E., Wells, H., Wells, P., and Hurd, L. E. (eds.), The Praying Mantids, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, pp. 194–223.
Prokop, P., and Václav, R. (2005). Males respond to risk of sperm competition in the sexually cannibalistic praying mantis. Mantis religiosa. Ethology 111: 836–848.
Robinson, M. H., and Robinson, B. (1979). By dawn’s early light: Matutinal mating and sex attractants in a neotropical mantid. Science 205: 825–827.
Roeder, K. D. (1935). An experimental analysis of the sexual behaviour of the preying mantis (Mantis religiosa L.). Biol. Bull. 69: 203–220.
SAS Institute (2000). SAS Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina.
Sokal, R. R., and Rohlf, F. J. (1995). Biometry, Freeman, New York.
Acknowledgments
We thank F. Fabritius, N. Fabritius and J. Dasca for collecting mantids, R. Vaquera for technical help, D. Casado for his helpful observations during the early stages of the study, and M. Maxwell and J. Moya-Laraño for discussion of an early version of the manuscript. This research is funded in part by a Ramón y Cajal grant from the MCYT of Spain to C.G.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gemeno, C., Claramunt, J. Sexual Approach in the Praying Mantid Mantis Religiosa (L.). J Insect Behav 19, 731–740 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-006-9058-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-006-9058-8