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Losing Your Head Over Love
Female praying mantises sometimes eat males during or after mating — but surprisingly, this only happens about 13-28% of the time in the wild.
Praying Mantis
Mantodea
Famous for their potentially deadly mating ritual, praying mantises demonstrate the extreme measures some species take for reproduction.
Vital Stats
🏷️ TypeMantis (insect)
🌍 Found InTropical and temperate regions worldwide — gardens, forests, grasslands
📏 Size1-15cm depending on species
⏳ Lifespan6-12 months
🔞 Sexual MaturityAfter final molt, ~4-8 weeks
💕 Mating SystemFemales may cannibalize males during or after mating
📅 Mating SeasonLate summer/fall
👶 Offspring100-400 eggs in foam case (ootheca)
🍆 Penis Size3.0 mm
⏱️ Sex Duration2 hours
🔬 Notable AnatomyMale can continue mating even after decapitation — body completes act reflexively
⚖️ Sexual DimorphismFemales larger and heavier; some species females can't fly