Can You Hold A Praying Mantis?

Praying mantises are fascinating insects that intrigue many with their almost alien-like appearance and behavior. If you’ve ever encountered one of these captivating critters, you may have wondered, can I hold a praying mantis without harming it?

The short answer is yes, you generally can hold a praying mantis briefly if done carefully.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about safely holding a praying mantis. We’ll discuss important factors to consider before picking one up, provide step-by-step instructions for proper handling techniques, share tips on keeping them calm, outline signs of stress to watch for, and more.

Key Considerations Before Handling a Praying Mantis

Check if the Species is Safe to Handle

There are over 2,400 species of praying mantises, and some can inflict a painful bite, especially larger exotic species. It’s best to stick to common native species like the Carolina mantis which are not aggressive. Larger species like the Chinese mantis can give a nip so handle with care.

Always identify the species first and research if it’s safe.

Make Sure it is Not Molting

Praying mantises are extremely vulnerable when molting and will be stressed if handled. Watch for signs it is preparing to molt like resting more than usual. Give it space and do not attempt to handle a molting mantis as this can disrupt the delicate process and even kill it.

Avoid Disturbing Egg Cases or Young Nymphs

Females often lay an egg case in the fall, and disturbing these can harm the eggs. It’s also best not to handle tiny nymphs that have just hatched since they are fragile. Give them time to mature before attempting to handle praying mantis young.

Wash Hands First to Remove Scents

Praying mantises rely on camouflage to ambush prey and are very sensitive to unfamiliar scents. Always wash your hands thoroughly with unscented soap and rinse well. This helps remove any food odors, lotions, or chemicals that might alarm the insect.

Have a Clean Environment Ready to Place it In

Set up a temporary enclosure before trying to handle a praying mantis. An old aquarium or large plastic container works well. Add some twigs, leaves, and a light screen top. Have the habitat ready so you can quickly and safely put the mantis inside when done observing it.

Limit handling to just a few minutes at a time.

When handled properly and briefly, praying mantises can be fascinating insects to hold and observe up close. Their raptorial front legs and unique head movements are mesmerizing. Just be sure to identify the species, avoid sensitive times like molting, minimize scents, and place them back into a proper habitat quickly.

With some simple precautions, holding a praying mantis can be an educational experience for both children and adults alike.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Picking Up and Holding a Praying Mantis

Approach Slowly and Gently

When attempting to pick up a praying mantis, it’s important to move slowly and cautiously to avoid startling it. Praying mantises are incredibly sensitive to vibrations and sudden movements. If you rush at a mantis, it will likely jump or fly away to escape what it perceives as a threat.

Instead, slowly and gently bring your hand or fingers towards the mantis. Speaking softly can also help reassure the insect as you approach. Get down to its level so you aren’t looming over it in what could be an intimidating manner.

Pay attention to the mantis’ reaction as you get closer, and pause or withdraw your hand if it seems apprehensive or poised to flee.

Allow it to Crawl Onto Your Hand

Rather than grabbing at a praying mantis, it’s better to allow it to voluntarily crawl onto your hand. Once you are close enough, hold your hand still and extended in front of the mantis. It may carefully move onto your hand to inspect it.

Be patient as mantises tend to move fairly slowly and deliberately. Let the mantis take its time investigating your hand before lifting it higher. If needed, you can gently encourage it along by lightly nudging it from behind with a finger or blowing softly on it.

But don’t forcibly grab or prod the mantis, as this is likely to startle it.

Hold Still Once on Your Hand

It’s very important to hold your hand completely still once a praying mantis has crawled on. Any shaking or jerky movements could cause the mantis to panic or lose grip. Keep your hand flat and avoid curling your fingers around the insect.

Also try to avoid rotating or tilting your hand, as this could also dislodge the mantis. Hold your arm and hand in a stable position to give the mantis a steady surface to stand on. Move slowly and use your other hand for any gestures or activities. Speaking softly can also help keep the mantis calm.

Move Slowly to Avoid Startling It

When repositioning or lifting your hand with a mantis on it, continue to move deliberately and smoothly. Sudden movements or quick acceleration could cause the mantis to jump off in surprise. Carefully transition your hand from one position to another using slow motions.

You may need to move in order to give someone else a better view of the mantis or to place it on a different surface. Just remember to keep a steady pace throughout. It can also help to give verbal cues by gently telling the mantis you are about to move as you start transitioning.

This can help prevent alarming it with an abrupt motion.

Limit Handling Time to a Few Minutes

While praying mantises are generally quite docile, it’s best not to handle them extensively. Try to limit handling to just a few minutes at a time. The mantis will become stressed by prolonged contact and restraint.

Look for signs it wants to be released, like facing away from you or repeatedly flexing its wings. After a brief interaction, gently encourage the mantis to crawl off your hand onto a nearby leaf, branch, or other safe surface. Avoid dropping it suddenly from a high height.

With care and respect for its needs, you can safely enjoy contact with a praying mantis without causing it undue distress.

Keeping Praying Mantises Calm While Handling

Speak Softly and Move Slowly

When handling a praying mantis, it is crucial to remain calm and move slowly so as not to startle the insect. Speak in soft, gentle tones to help keep the mantis relaxed. Sudden loud sounds or quick movements can trigger a fear response, causing the mantis to become agitated or even defensive.

According to the Amateur Entomologists’ Society, mantises may mistake fast motions as an attack, which can prompt them to strike out in self-defense.

Avoid Making Sudden Sounds or Motions

Loud noises like clapping or banging can alarm a praying mantis. Even ambient sounds like music or TV may cause disturbances. For the calmest handling experience, minimize external audio stimulation. Additionally, jarring body movements near the mantis should be avoided.

No sudden reaching, arm waving, etc. Nice and easy does it. Let the mantis adjust to gentle interactions before attempting to pick it up. Familiar, unthreatening stimuli pave the way for comfortable handling.

According to University of Basel researchers in a 2020 study, praying mantises possess surprisingly sophisticated audio localization abilities, able to detect sounds and pinpoint distance/direction more accurately than previously believed.

Gently Block Escape Attempts

Even with slow cautious movements, a praying mantis may still try to scurry off your hand. Its instinct is to avoid perceived danger, including potential grabbed-by-a-giant scenarios. When a mantis begins fleeing along your arm or hand, do not abruptly clamp down or squish to prevent escape.

Instead, use your other hand to calmly cut off exit routes until the mantis stops moving. This gentle blocking method stops the bug’s momentum without squeezing or rough handling. Be ready to provide an alternate object, like a stick, for the mantis to safely traverse onto.

Have a Stick for It to Grasp

As an alternative handling method, place a long stick or thin branch into the mantis habitat and allow the insect to walk onto it voluntarily. Approximately 65% of captive mantises will climb readily onto sticks, based on observations published in the Journal of Insect Science.

With a stick for transport, the mantis maintains better control over its environment and you avoid potential squishing incidents. Let the mantis grip the stick securely before slowly lifting it out, then return the stick when finished interacting.

Signs of Stress to Watch For

When handling a praying mantis, it’s important to watch for signs of stress and discomfort. An anxious mantis may exhibit behaviors indicating it wants to be released. Paying attention to these cues can prevent potential harm to the insect.

Freezing in Place

A mantis that suddenly stops moving could be alarmed by the contact. Freezing is a defensive tactic that attempts to camouflage the mantis and reduce detection from perceived predators. If the mantis rigidly fixates in one position, especially with limbs tucked in close to its body, it likely feels threatened and wants to escape the interaction.

Attempting to Flee or Fly Away

A mantis may frantically run across your hand or take flight in an effort to get away. These behaviors clearly signify the insect is distressed and avoiding contact. If the mantis initiates locomotion up your arm or flies off your hand, it does not welcome handling and human interaction.

Raising Forelegs in a Defensive Posture

Many mantis species adopt a distinctive stance when confronted by predators in the wild. Standing tall on its hind legs with forelegs outstretched is an unmistakable defensive pose. The posture makes the mantis appear larger and more imposing to opponents.

If your mantis assumes this assertive position, perceive it as communication to stop touching them.

Making Hissing Noises

Mantises can produce an audible hiss from their mouths to discourage predators. The unusual vocalization often surprises first-time handlers. But the loud sputtering signals clear discontent towards tactile manipulation.

The mantis is stridently voicing its protest against handling with hopes the abrasive response will prompt release.

Lunging to Bite

As a final resort, an exasperated mantis may attempt to bite the perceived threat. Unwelcome contact pressures the insect to mount a more confrontational defense. Its sharp raptorial forelegs can deliver a surprisingly painful pinch with similar relative force to vespid wasps.

Biting indicates the mantis is utterly desperate for handling to stop and may escalate aggressive retaliation if persistent unwanted pestering continues despite obvious warnings.

Always attentively regard a mantis’s body language when holding them. Cease handling immediately at the earliest signs of unease and avoid pestering them to prevent escalations prompting defensive bites. Forced interactions against their will causes mantises undue duress.

Respect their boundaries and let them be if they clearly display signals not wanting any part of human handling.

After Handling Care Tips

Wash Hands Thoroughly Afterwards

It is crucial to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling a praying mantis. Here are some tips for effective hand washing:

• Use warm running water and liquid soap. Antibacterial soap is ideal but regular soap works too.
• Rub your hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds, covering all surfaces including backs of hands, wrists, between fingers, and under nails.
• Rinse off all the soap then dry your hands with a clean towel.
• Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open doors to avoid recontamination.

Proper hand washing removes any traces of mantis secretions, feces, or bacteria that could cause illness. It also prevents spreading microbes to other surfaces, pets, or people. Take extra care if you have any open cuts or scratches on your hands.

Disinfect Any Bite Wounds Properly

Though not aggressive, praying mantises will bite in self-defense if threatened or mishandled. Their bites are not venomous but can penetrate skin and risk infection. To disinfect a mantis bite wound:

• Wash the bite area gently with mild soap and warm water.
• Apply an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin to prevent bacterial infection.
• Cover with a sterile gauze bandage.
• Watch for signs of infection like increasing redness, swelling, warmth, or pus.
• See a doctor if the wound is severe or shows infection.

Proper disinfection keeps the wound clean and reduces the chance of complications. Avoid any folk remedies like sucking out venom, applying tourniquets, or using bleach solutions, which can harm skin.

Provide Supplemental Hydration and Food

Handling stresses praying mantises, so it’s important to provide extra moisture and nutrients after. Some tips include:

• Lightly mist the mantis with water to restore lost fluids from exertion.
• Offer small drops of honey water or sugar water for quick energy.
• Provide a juicy insect like a fly or worm which has more moisture.
• Ensure its regular food supply of insects or other prey are readily available.

Well-fed, hydrated mantises recover faster and are less prone to health issues. Avoid overhandling them, and limit interaction to short 5-10 minute sessions. Signs of stress include lethargy, lack of appetite, or aggression. If these persist over 24 hours, consult an exotic veterinarian.

Conclusion

In closing, praying mantises can often be safely handled for brief periods if done carefully and properly. By moving slowly, limiting handling time, watching for signs of stress, and taking proper safety precautions, you can temporarily pick one up without harming it.

Just be sure to respect these fascinating insects and never grab at them carelessly. With some gentle care and respect, you’ll find holding a praying mantis can be an amazing up-close wildlife encounter.