{"id":11609,"date":"2022-07-20T13:47:15","date_gmt":"2022-07-20T18:47:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=11609"},"modified":"2022-07-23T10:48:54","modified_gmt":"2022-07-23T15:48:54","slug":"how-smart-are-praying-mantises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/how-smart-are-praying-mantises\/","title":{"rendered":"How Smart Are Praying Mantises?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019ve ever seen a praying mantis hunting an insect much larger than itself, you may have thought it had to be pretty smart to take down such a foe. But is that true? How smart are praying mantises<\/a>? Are they the smartest insects in the world, or are there some insects that are much smarter than they are? Keep reading as we dive into the answers to these questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Smart are Praying Mantises?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The smartness of most insects is unclear and hard to measure. While many insects display behaviors that suggest intelligence, it\u2019s not always easy to determine whether these behaviors are based on instinct or on thoughtful decision making.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the case of praying mantises, many of their behaviors are considered instinctual\u2013for example, they will hunt any insect they can catch and subdue, including members of their own species. The instinctive need for food is what drives this behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But some of their behaviors appear to be more calculated. Some have demonstrated<\/a> a tendency to return to the same hunting areas where they had success in the past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In these cases, the instinct to find food may be coupled with thinking and decision-making skills that help them determine where to look for food.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Male praying mantises have also shown an ability to make decisions when choosing a mate<\/a>. Many males seem to have a preference for fatter, more well fed females, and they typically approach stealthily from behind when mating; both actions can limit their chances of being eaten by the female during copulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, praying mantises have excellent vision; they appear to recognize familiar objects and possibly even faces they\u2019ve seen before. They seem to be able to distinguish between friendly, familiar people and unfamiliar people or predators. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This ability suggests that praying mantises can be taught through use of visual clues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out this video of a guy and a praying mantis who became inseparable friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=c0_NtUhOw_g<\/a>