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Opis:
Rumor and photos have flown around internet showing praying mantises eating hummingbirds! Fact or Fiction? Doctored photos? In fact, a scientific journal article has reported a 150 instance where this has occurred. It is rare occurrence but has been documented. Primarily, praying mantises are insect feeders but will eat small vertebrates if they can over power them and hang on. Praying mantises have been purchased to put in gardens for pest control but this has not been proven effective. Many of the egg cases sold online are from non-native species which has put a strain on native mantises. Mantises eat almost a thousand insect per year, both beneficial insects as well as pests. Mantises do not discriminate! Manitises have well developed eyes and are oriented forward like those of vertebrate predators. Mantises are recognized as sexual cannibals. They will eat their mates during or after copulation if the male can not escape. Mantises over winter as eggs and the eggs are often brought indoors on christmas trees.
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