Hobbies And Interests
Eggs
The praying mantis eggs lie dormant for several months until temperatures begin to warm in early to mid spring. The egg sacks of the praying mantis are hardy and durable and survive extreme temperatures and other extreme weather well. They are brown and "foamy" looking, and camouflage well among shrubs and in wooded areas. After two to three weeks of temperate weather, in mid-spring, the egg cases begin to form cracks. Anywhere between 50 and 200 nymphs crawl out from a single casing. Since the casing doesn't actually show a fracture, it is impossible to tell which eggs have hatched and which haven't.
Nymphs
The nymphs are brown at first and don't yet have any wings. The nymphs immediately seek out foliage and scatter throughout the nearby area. They eat all insects that cross their paths, and are known as voracious eaters. In order to grow, the nymph must shed its exoskeleton. Throughout the course of their lives, nymhps shed a total of five times---growing in size with each transformation. This happens roughly once a month for the first five or six months of their lives. As the last exoskeleton is shed, the nymph's skin turns from a brown to green. The final transformation is most striking, and the mantis becomes a fully functioning adult with wings and a raging appetite.
Adult
Mantises spend about half of their lives---usually about six months---as adults. At peak size, the mantis is between 1 to 6 inches in length. Most are about 2 to 3 inches. At this stage, they begin to mate and the female mantis will lay between one and five egg cases, completing the life cycle. The eggs are usually deposited on shrubs or bushes, or some other wooded and lush area. After depositing her eggs, the female will soon die. The males live only a few months longer---with a full life cycle being around one year.