Educational Diagram: The 4 Stages of the Praying Mantis Life Cycle

 Printable Praying Mantis Life Cycle Lapbook

In the third stage of the praying mantis life cycle, the adolescent mantis sheds its exoskeleton. After resting for a short period, it progresses to the fourth and final stage. As an adult, the praying mantis feeds on small animals such as mice, birds, lizards, tree frogs, and insects.

Life Cycle Overview

• Egg Stage: The life of a praying mantis begins as an egg. A female mantis can lay between 30 and 150 eggs at a time, depending on the species and the availability of food. In some cases, she may lay up to 400 eggs in a protective frothy case known as an ootheca. The ootheca shields the eggs from predators and harsh weather.

• Nymph Stage: When the eggs hatch, small mantis nymphs emerge. They look like miniature adults but undergo a series of molts (shedding their exoskeletons) as they grow.

• Adult Stage: After the final molt, the mantis reaches adulthood. Adults typically live for six months to one year, depending on the species. They are carnivores, preying mainly on insects but occasionally on small vertebrates.

General Facts About Praying Mantises

• Diet: Carnivorous, feeding primarily on insects and small animals.

• Lifespan: Usually about one year in the wild, with half of that time spent as an adult.

• Size: Ranges from 0.5 to 6 inches in length.

• Diversity: There are around 1,800 known species worldwide. While many people refer to all mantids as “praying mantises,” the true mantises form a smaller group within the larger mantid family.

Educational Resources
Teachers and students can use lapbooks, diagrams, and printable worksheets to better understand the praying mantis life cycle. Activities often include labeling diagrams, comparing linear and circular life cycle charts, and exploring mantis anatomy (such as the modified forelegs used for catching prey).

Interesting Notes

• The praying mantis undergoes incomplete metamorphosis, meaning the nymphs resemble adults but grow through successive molts.

• Mating behaviors are well known—after mating, the female sometimes kills and eats the male, gaining nutrients to support egg production.

• Mantises are commonly found in gardens, fields, and forests, where they play an important role as predators in controlling insect populations.

• They are not found in extreme cold environments such as tundra or tilerummy boreal regions.

The praying mantis is both fascinating and beneficial to ecosystems. Its unique life cycle and hunting behaviors make it a favorite subject for science lessons, nature studies, and classroom projects.