Feeding Behavior of Mantidae Species (Mantodea) From Sindh, Pakistan

Abstract

The sum of activities of animals that is directed towards the procurement of nutrients is collectively called as feeding behavior. The same food or the prey is procured differently by different predators with the help of special capabilities i.e Mantidae and Mantodea. Mantodea is a group of mostly large and conspicuous predatory insects with versatile, unique, and special capabilities. They prey upon a wide array of animals, ranging from springtails to small vertebrates hence are the best biological pest control agent. Observing the feeding behavior of praying mantids under natural conditions is difficult due to their speed, camouflage, low lying-in vegetation etc. That’s why this study was undertaken to see feeding behaviors of three diverse occurring species in Laboratory conditions. Consequently, their oothecae (egg case) were collected sorted out for raring. The collected oothecae fixed in aerated cadges with all required factors and after hatching the feeding behaviors of Tenodera attenuata, Sphrodomantis transcausica and Mantis religiosa was recorded.