The Praying Mantis Essay -- essays research papers

The Praying Mantis(Mantis Religiosa)ContentsIntroduction Classes First Things First Key Features Basic Features Diet &Combat vogue Reproduction Growth & Development Self-Defense CulturalSignificance Praying Mantis Kung-FuINTRODUCTION"Praying Mantis" is the name commonly used in English speaking countries torefer to a large, much elongated, slow-moving plant louse with fore legs fitted forseizing and holding insect prey. The name, "Praying Mantis" more properlyrefers to the specific mantid species Mantis Religiosa or the European Mantis,but typically is used more generally to refer to any of the mantid family. Thename is derived from the prayer-like position in which the insect holds its long,jointed front legs while at rest or waiting for prey. It is also called the"preying" mantis because of its predatory nature.CLASSESMany questions have risen regarding the praying mantis. Such questions allow inhow many different species there be in the animal k ingdom. Estimates rangefrom 1500 to 2200 different mantid species WORLDWIDE. The most common figuregiven, though, is about 1800. The ways the Mantids are classified in theAnimal Kingdom. There is agreement that the collection of mantid species makeup the Mantidae family of insects. The Mantidae family, in turn, is part of theorder/suborder Mantodea that includes a variety of mantid-like species. But theexisting literature does not reflect a clear consensus about what insect orderMantodea belong in. Some have put Mantodea in the Dictyoptera Order-with theroaches. Others place Mantodea in the Orthoptera Order-with crickets andgrasshoppers. Finally, some believe that Mantodea constitute their ownindependent order of insects. There seems to be an emerging consensus mostthis position.FIRST THINGS FIRST     The Mantis Religiosa was first named such and classified by the inventorof the modern system of biological taxonomy Carolus Linnaeus. The three commonspecies of m antids in northmost America are the European mantis (Mantis religiosa),the Chinese mantis (Tenodera aridifolia sinensis), and the Carolina mantis(Stagmomantis carolina)distinguishing features of these three speciesSizeThe Chinese mantis is the largest of the three, reaching lengths of three tofive inches. The European mantis, however, is a little sm... ...s while striving for food and existence did not reveal us its secrets, wewould never develop this new style." The abbot replied "You are justifiedly In orderto perpetuate the memory of the source, we shall call this style "The Gates ofPraying Mantis" (Tang Lang Men). Wang Lang and the abbot developed twelvecharacters - guiding principles of the praying mantis fighting proficiency zhan(contacting), nian (sticking), bang (linking), tie (pressing), lai (intruding),jiao (provoking), shun (moving along), song (sending), ti (lifting), na(grabbing), feng (blocking), bi (locking). Also they developed formal sets ofprayin g mantis technique, such as Beng bu (crushing step), Lan jie(obstruction), Ba zhou (eight elbows), Mei hua lu (plum blossom technique) andBai yuan tou tao (white ape steals the peach). However, this new style for along time was a privilege of the Taoist monks of the Lao Shan taoist religiouscommunity and it was kept as a part of the secret taoist doctrine and closed tolay people. Wang Lang, for the rest of his days, lived in the taoist templepracticing self cultivation, developing Praying Mantis boxing and following theway of the Tao..."