Praying mantids are thought to be so strictly predacious that, historically, carnivorousness has been used as a defining characteristic of the taxon Mantodea, and no data exist on other ingestive behaviors. We observed food- and water-deprived male and female Tenodera aridifolia sinensis (Sauss.) and Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.) in various situations and found that their ingestive behaviors are more variable than generally recognized. Both species regularly drink water in response to deprivation, the amount imbibed being correlated with the total (but not daily) percent of initial body weight lost. When presented with stimuli consisting of plastic beads of different reflective quality (shiny clear, opaque frosted, or matte black), lighted by a single direct light source, the shiny stimuli consistently elicited the most drinking-like behavior by the mantids. The preference was consistent, whether stimuli were presented together or singly. This suggests that visual cues can be used to identify water and are alone capable of maintaining drinking-like behavior. When S. lineola were presented with various stimuli, including diced apple and diced banana, in a five-way or a three-way choice test, mantids that chose a stimulus within the allotted time consistently ate the diced banana. When presented one of two stimuli differing only in odor (30 x 20 x 15 mm cloth bags filled with either plastic beads or banana), S. lineola did not attempt to eat the former, but 50% attempted to eat the bag of banana. Eating bouts were always preceded by antennae drumming in the direction of, or over the stimulus. These findings indicate that at least one species of mantid is a facultative omnivor and that olfaction or contact chemoreception plays a role in identifying potential food. Our findings for mantids fit currently accepted, general models of insect drinking and eating behavior. Further, facultative omnivorousness suggests a closer phylogenetic relationship to the suborder Blattodea. This supports the belief that Mantodea is correctly considered a suborder of Dictuoptera (rather than an order).

Keywords:
Praying mantis, Mantodea, S. lineola, T. sinensis, Drinking, Eating, Visual stimuli, Olfactory stimuli, Chemosensory stimuli
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© 1992 S. Karger AG, Basel
1992
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