THE PRAYING MANTIS
For the Greeks, an animal full of power, able to show the path to something or someone that was lost. Mantis, in that language, means oracle, prophet. For us, a guide, our flagship, symbol of the beauty and diversity found in nature. Praying mantises are harmless and charismatic insects, the focus of our scientific research.
INSECTS THAT ARE
HARMLESS
TO HUMANS, WITHOUT POISON
FOUND IN ALL
CONTINENTS
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ANTARCTICA
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ORIGIN IN
AMERICAS
IN THE JURASSIC PERIOD
2500+
SPECIES IN THE WORLD
474+
NEOTROPICAL SPECIES
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ESSENTIALLY
CARNIVORES
FEEDING ON MINOR PREY
CAMOUFLAGE
EXCEPTIONAL, FOR HUNTING AND DEFENSE
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LIVE BETWEEN
1 - 2 YEARS
DEPENDING ON THE SPECIES
DEVELOPMENT BY
MOLTS
THE EXOSKELETON EXCHANGE
OCCUR UP TO
3000M
OF ALTITUDE
BRAZIL HAS AT LEAST
250 SPECIES
THE LARGEST DIVERSITY IN THE WORLD
ADAPTED TO ALL KINDS OF
ECOSYSTEMS
BEACH VEGETATION, FORESTS, FIELDS ETC.
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
There are few mantis specialists in the world. We are dedicated to studying them in tropical forests, mainly in the Atlantic Rainforest and the Amazon, describing species, registering habits and behavior, among other information. Almost nothing is known about mantis in the Neotropics. In most cases, identifying the species of praying mantis is a very difficult task, and it is only possible to determine the genus.
CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE
Each mantis is special to us. Unlike most insect researchers, we work only with non-lethal methods, also avoiding collecting more than necessary. We rear all captured mantises until natural death. This protocol makes it possible to follow development and changes throughout life, to record everything in photographs and, above all, to connect people to the fantastic mantises that we find.
