MANTIS

For over a century the praying mantis has been considered by biologists as a prime example of sexual cannibalism. A thorough study of this insect over one hundred days of its life aims to dispel these myths. Unprecedented images were filmed of different stages in the life cycle of the mantis such as copulation, the laying and hatching of eggs, moulting and the complex intimidation ritual carried out when faced with a predator. But, as in every animal behaviour study the surprise will just come at the end.

[@beth2996]

I was watching the whole thing with my pet mantis perched on my shoulder. It was fun.

[@luz_.photos9599]

Omg same

[@tjames6427]

Haha cute!

[@reportingunderlord6th339]

Same lol😊

[@Simp_Zone]

so jelly

[@WrathOfPhropet]

This is how you make a documentary: no over-dramatizing, only facts said in interesting way. plus the music is really awesome

[@yohannbiimu]

Mantises are my favorite insect, because they're so damned cool. I love the fact that they can turn their heads to get a good look at you. It gives the impression that they're intelligent. And, they're so primal, and yet accommodating to people who want to study them while they're doing their thing (usually eating). The one thing that I've learned, though, is that they will hunt hummingbirds, and I will NOT let them hang around my hummingbird feeder. I'll carefully remove and relocate them, but I won't tolerate having them slaughtering hummingbirds that I'm attracting so that I can enjoy watching them.

[@fckfracking6409]

Why? Let the hunt the birds. To them it could be a sacrifice ritual by killing the birds lmao

[@adub92199]

The fact that they know that the feeder will attract food for them is brilliant and they should be rewarded with the chance to actually eat the hummingbirds if they can catch them

[@LENA-pl8pu]

True

[@gehtdianschasau8372]

It was so cute when they shared the spider 29:39 just adorable.

[@DG-iw3yw]

@adub92199 Its just evolution, brightly coloured objects that attract pollinators are where they hang out. You wouldnt reward an eel for knowing it is safe in the dark muddy water rather than the clear surface

[@weavernutz22]

Best nature documentary imo. Not saturated with exaggerated sound clips when the mantis eats live prey... not like bug wars anyways. 10/10

[@Greggee100]

Praying mantis head would be the ultimate helmet for a fighter jet pilot.

[@safwanharis4116]

True, but instead they use fly's head

[@MantisGforce420]

Mantids are very carnivorous but in the wild its once in a blue moon that the female eats her mate, it happens much more in captivity. I have studied the north american version of praying mantids off and on since i was about 14, and what shocked me the most on this video was when the two females shared the spider and went about their business afterwards.

[@PpAirO5]

Sadly, animal programs today is only about lions and great white sharks... that's about it. There are millions of species out there, show them. Educate us on other species, instead of the same shit again and again. This program is really good 👍

[@cleverhunter5249]

"Savage, functional, but savage"

[@andrewchen1853]

So far the best documentary for Mantises for 5 consecutive years voted by me. 5 STAR VIDEO!!!!! 10/10!!!!!!

[@glutenfreebreadbread3730]

Imagine putting 3 years off you life to prove female that praying mantises don't eat each other and after almost proving that they don't, some mantis decided to take the saying 'he lookin like snack' too seriously

[@blujay1608]

That has got to be the saddest ending to a documentary with the most cheerful encore I have ever witnessed. I learned so much. I can't wait to share this!!!!!

[@devolinski]

I purchased some egg cases from them in the spring and watched them hatch and grow, its been so interesting. Today I counted 7 egg cases in one area from them now that I know what to look for. Been watching them all summer and took a lot of pictures

[@theangrykorean5194]

it's funny how they keep switching back and forth between the nice peaceful music and bugs getting it on, and shit just got real music and mantis be eating faces...

[@BeOffbeat]

They ARE intelligent not just perceived. Humans just made up things as usual. I love these creatures.

[@calamaya48]

I fell asleep watching this and dreamed my house was filed mantises the size of dachshunds.

[@TheHollowBodiesBand]

Philipp Berry nice

[@oash6041]

Nice

[@idonthavethemass1227]

Nice

[@OodiGames]

Nice

[@Simp_Zone]

The male wasp has a harem "WAH DA DA BLA DA DA DA DAA WAH" That trumpet player had fun lol

[@musicman195959]

I used to have them as pets too. They are my favorite insect. I love them too.

[@Simp_Zone]

That leaf mantis is so cooooool

[@danieldevito6380]

Mantids are the ABSOLUTE definition of successful natural selection. I saw a video on KZbin, recently, where a Praying Mantis attacked, then killed, a large lizard, MUCH larger and heavier than it. Then, with the lizard incapacitated, it proceeded to eat it upside down. It was truly amazing.

[@vanityrae83]

orchid are my favorite flower & orchid mantis are *Beautiful* *!*

[@mechagodzilla8210]

Ever heard of the devil's flower mantis?

[@oash6041]

entoinsects I was about to say the exact same thing

[@jamesmartin4857]

That is how a proper documentary is done.No crazy music. Just great all the way around.

[@Berkaelzar]

Lol at the lady bug at 21:15, she's just like - Don't mind me, just passing by. ^_^

[@007RAJKOify]

Mantis snuff films

[@richerDiLefto]

It’s hard to believe that one of the most loved insects, the mantises, are close cousins with one of the most hated, the cockroaches! Their heads and whippy antennae look alike, their wings fold similarly, and their leg joints point at the same angle when seen at the side. The only difference is the long thorax and huge forelegs!

[@kazoesowzay]

That was awesome how they shared the spider

[@tinkerttoy]

Very interesting! I've been studying mantises lately, mostly for the sake of my own curiosity, and I've found this very helpful.

[@musicman195959]

Beautifully filmed. Thank you so much.

[@AndreaReyib]

What an amazing documentary! I've seen my nymphs mantises sharing food before, but with wild adult mantises WOW. I admire the guys that did all of the field work, I would do it too. Incredible shots and marvelous ending.

[@user-yy2iz9ek9l]

This film was very much keeping with the study subject and did not deviate into interviews with the people involved. Therefore, it was very enlightening to watch. I have a copy of a book with a picture of a Harpagomantis discolor.

[@Meegwun]

Fabulous photography. Great doco on my favorite insect.

[@PpAirO5]

Ghost Mantis 👻🍂My favourite

[@KitsunenoHibi]

Dude, that lizard near the beginning was freaking out! I suppose being eaten by what you normally eat is a real punch in the gut before you die...

[@mexiluvsw]

I live in AZ and I see these little critters all the time every time I cut my grass.

[@nickbaron6146]

great documentary!

[@nickbaron6146]

i honestly think that all The information it holds about their study contains some amazing facts that they discovered. I also had a good lough about the last surprise that their mantis gave them. You can watch it at 45:25

[@revybear]

epic ending. "love bite" lol

[@kelebekaan2826]

This is the best documentary I've ever seen!

[@Salwerth2822]

Great documentary.

[@KitsunenoHibi]

Not everyone can be David Attenborough, sadly....

[@gehtdianschasau8372]

Thanks for uploading. Video quality isn't the best, but the rest is almost perfect. That's how documentarys should be.

[@enriquemendoza3089]

at the end of video the male doesn't fight back cause he knows that the female needs that nutrients for her to build her nest. body insects can live up to 30 minutes time enough for him to inseminate.

[@007RAJKOify]

+Enrique Mendoza yeah.Its more like him being a gentleman than her being a canibal

[@wioi]

that does not mean a thing to the most males. even males fight back when cannibalized while mating. so your comment was worthless. and 30 min mating is not enough for many species... some need 5 hours and more

[@xv12commander]

@@wioi the body of an insect can servive days without the head...

[@anthonynguyen4088]

@@wioi Anna Banana I fucking hate you

[@fckfracking6409]

I seen 2 mantises today about as big as the first young mantis shown. One was brown and one was green. I live in Pennsylvania and see them a lot bc my mom has about 10 foot high bamboo that is about 50 or more feet long and at least 5 foot thick. She ises it as privacy fence sort of in the front yard and she also has a lot of flowers, bushes, and vegetables everywhere also so I tend to see them a lot. I seen 3 today, 2 young and one big one and I seen 1 small one 2 days ago also. It must be mating season or hatching season here. These are my favorite bugs though and I always get a few good pics when I see one just so I can try to find identifying marks to see how long the last if I ever see it again. I would like to know the species of mantises that live in southwestern Pennsylvania though if anyone know just so I know what kind they are and how big they get bc I’ve seen them about 5 inches I’d say, maybe a lil smaller. I think the people ssayimg that it seems like they have intelligence when you look at them are I think just thinking that bc they are one of the only bugs that can really turn their heads to look at you and you can even very clearly see their pupils in their eyes.

[@NaturalAnts]

Me mata cuando hablan en castellano y por encima de escucha la traducción en inglés no sabes que atender de las dos.😵 Fantástico documental 👏

[@great-grandmakirk8828]

This video was so interesting, thank you for sharing this life of a mantis.👍🏻🥰👏🏼❤️

[@viktorialuvsmantises2188]

Hi I’m new to you tube and everything on it. But I have been keeping mantises as pets for some time now. And your videos are always good. I have a mantis that needs help however. I had another mantis that had seemed to act the same way. She didn’t make very long after her last molt. She got her wings and then slowly after that her health deteriorated. She’s on my KZbin channel “Viktoria Luvs Mantises”. But now I have Coco Beans. His mannerism is the same as hers only his health has remained the same. He has an appetite and he can pull himself up. But it’s like he lost the functionality of his legs and the use of his raptor forearms. He doesn’t hunt on his own or use his forearms at all. I know he is going to be molting again soon and I’m afraid I won’t be able to help him. His last molt went good although I wasnt home when he completed molting. Towards the end, I’m guessing, he had fallen and dried kind of on his side. So his forearms are kind of crooked which keeps him from using them hardly at all. He uses them to climb, the right arm more than the left, however they are strong enough to hold him up to climb to the top of his habitat if I help him. He is able to hang for about a minute or two. But after that he gets tired. And eventually falls. This is breaking my heart so much. I don’t know how to help him. Is there anything I can do to help him when it’s time for him to molt again. I don’t know if he will be able to molt and like I said before I have only seen this in one other mantis that had about 6 months ago. This mantis Coco Beans is the sweetest thing and I want to help him get thru this because he has alot of strength and energy but he just doesn’t move unless I get him out of his habitat and stimulate him with helping him move and walk. I do this for him everyday. The humidity and temps are fine and within range for them to be healthy but he started showing these signs shortly before his last molt. Please if you can suggest anything I can do. Coco is also on my page. I can send you anything as far as these bugs are concerned so that maybe you can tell me what is going on with them. Thank you for your time

[@CFarnwide]

Great documentary! We’ve kept a few mantids indoors for a couple months now. The kids have been fascinated with them 👍. They have all had their last molts so its time to introduce the boys to the girls 😘

[@CyanBlackflower]

I love Mantids of any type, I grew up with M. Religiosa. My first encounter with what at age 4.2 yo was to me one very weird and scary looking creature... I was fascinated by insects, from day one, and had little fear or distaste for them as many do, and knew most who were denizens of my locale...but not THIS thing, it was an adult female as I later realised, however, at the time I was afraid of it and decided to pull "rank" in terms of size, strength, and simple impromptu creativity. Nearby there was a tin lid covering from an old can of cookies approx 12" in diameter (20cm) I grabbed this, put it on top of the bug, stood on that - and attempted to crush the hapless bug to death...I did do it..but NOT before this incredible creature delivered an experience I never forgot, making that time and event clearly in my mind for over 5 decades. It fought my weight and for about 3 seconds it actually lifted me up, I was astonished and somewhat freaked out as I felt the energy of this thing countering my weight which even at that young age was at least a couple hundred times that of the Mantis...a week or 2 later I saw another, and this time I was with my father, who introduced me to this incredible creature, and I began a deep kind of bonding with them which persists unto this day. In spite of years of association and observations my knowledge about these beings is little more than what is in this Docu. So I gain little from it. I think I understand why the female may occasionally eat a male and why his trepidation mounts approaching her for a good time mounting her in the bushes - Not only does she offer a whole new take on "giving head" but, I suspect it's also connected to a reflexive predatory attack behaviour, one which is triggered more so than voluntary - a trait common to most mantids, in any case a detailed observer will also find surprises and unpredictability when they notice individual nuances or "personalities" inherent in most life forms, even in those which appear most uniform in terms of behaviour. So, to generalise is a capital mistake, if one aims to truly understand any thing. One thing I am certain - The daring dynamism of the biosphere is the deepest of mysteries, WE would do well to pay heed to that. As for this film...I'm pretty sure I saw this posted somewhere on the Porn Hub...

[@ShibaStix]

Thanks for posting this :)

[@jgkiwi]

A very good film

[@truecrimepodcasting]

19:30 - "Majority of Age?" Has there been a translation error? I don't understand what this means.

[@tomthumb325]

The mantis is the best of them all

[@dboykinchen88]

nice video. my american stick mantis ooth just hatched today. she laid 3. nice thing is, no eating the male when there isn't one. :). these nymph stick babies are beautiful. mantids are some of the coolest insects around

[@TheDragonfriday]

Do you separate all of your mantis, I would because I'm scared them eating each other.

[@akkalat85]

This bg music is so awesome. It sounds like I'm playing an SNES RPG!

[@thedarkness97]

10:30 Ghost Mantis....I have one coming this week :)

[@CarlosPando]

"to be amazed by nature" ... excelente trabajo, disfruté su documental muchisimo; muchas gracias en verdad.

[@c4spinn]

@16:25 baby mantis says a little farewell prayer to its mother whom gave her life for their birth.

[@jsmit7384]

"Who only gives love bites," I like that , nice ending. I always liked the praying mantis but I've never seen one in real life.

[@___Xander]

Damn 40:51 dad is that you??

[@beth2996]

oh okay

[@BiochemicalBase]

A nice documentary.

[@nathaniellong6062]

5:50 Obviously that mantis is a European Mantis older than the 1st instar so could not be a few hours old.

[@chucknoris9527]

One realm, one god, one king!

[@garysmith8456]

There is one watching me from my speaker right now!

[@REMME1998]

So good

[@king--kang.]

Good documentary

[@ASDREX458]

Lol, no matter from where you look at the mantis (front/behind or sides) its eyes are always on you

[@ericwood3709]

I wonder if the caution of the males despite the indifference of the females to them is actually indicative of a recent evolutionary change in that species? Perhaps the females were more likely to cannibalise the males in recent evolutionary history. If that's the case, it might be that the males haven't quite caught up with that shift yet, still being apprehensive when they no longer need to be, in which case I would predict that if the trend continues as it has with the females, then eventually the males will become less timid and approach more readily in the future (many, many generations from now).

[@themantisgarden]

Got to love them! I have tonnes of them in my bug room :)

[@GreenMantis27]

wow. impresive. my favourite documentary

[@isakjohansson7134]

Mantisar har varit hemma hos mig och tagit viktiga papper

[@jacobevans4222]

29:56 DOUBLE TEAM

[@shaktiwarrior3450]

Functional but Savage

[@garysmith8456]

I was walking in my garden when a Mantis landed on the back of my neck.He was a big chap-I nearly shat myself!!!

[@peacelove7872]

Praying Mantis intrigue me. I have several in my yard and enjoy watching them.

[@Peidmonte89]

found over 20 in my backyard yesterday. Got rid of our cricket and spider problem. They are so neat I had to find a documentary on them! ^.^

[@Evin062008]

Thanks man, I was curious. Instinct, what can I tell ya?

[@avitimushi1541]

informative video about mantis.

[@jt4369]

This documentary is showing its age, but it’s still educational.

[@TheSpiderScience]

Best documentary ever

[@oakland002]

Wow. They sure can eat... A lot too

[@SymothyD]

4:45 "Oh, hai!"

[@ElSoraTheRatKing]

Epic intro sequence :'3

[@fz1000red]

My absolute favorite insect of all time. The Mantis is a blast to keep as a pet for awhile and each spring I like to hatch a cocoon of babies to keep pests out of my garden. Of course, their aggressive nature regarding feeding means hundreds from my annual cocoon will battle to the death and cannibalize each other. #ThereCanBeOnlyOne 😈

[@ASTRAYGREENFRAME]

I thought that the mantis was singing

[@demonbacker56]

I assumed that these two mantises I caught were mating but it was a little different....The female bit the head OFF THEN the male climbed and tried to mate unsuccessfully. Very odd behavior.

[@gumtape6677]

That is very common, But happens while mating is happening

[@faithingod9554]

su3lime sexy

[@MalcolmBrenner]

Not odd for mantises, which have separate nerve ganglions controlling the head, thorax and abdomen. The male mantis's abdomen wants to mate continuously, but a single brain cell in his brain sends a signal that inhibits it. When that nerve signal is cut, the abdomen reverts back to its default behavior, and with the assistance of the thorax it will attempt to copulate, but not always successfully, as you note.

[@MsJinkerson]

the mantis is the only insect that a bat cannot catch

[@joeyfrench4517]

Mantis bugs protect lost children by guiding them to the safe place and mark their path home with their forelegs

[@SinSynn]

Real Casio Keyboard soundtrack going on here. So awful and epic and awesome. Had a great laugh in several sections.

[@pprehn5268]

Fantastsic, thank you so much, made my day.

[@isaacmiddleton9373]

baby mantids sooooooooooooooo cute

[@Skullgirly927]

Who narrated this?

Came for the Mantis doc.. *stayed for the insect porn*

[@mattosullivan9687]

They sell Mantis egg cases where I live hatch them in the garden to keep bad bugs off of the plants

[@TheStrike320]

This happens everyday in our economy, financially!!

[@mechagodzilla8210]

What is the song?????

[@emiliospowerballer1441]

apparently instects hate small flying insects too

[@leonreaper90]

25:27 *mantis opens wing* *random woman walks past* oooohoooohoooohoooooooo0000000h!

[@sandking8899]

They kinda look like long skinny roaches.

[@tha3immortals]

can you reference a video on how to do that?

[@ironfistdoombringerslayero902]

How could they have possibly kept track of one mantis?

[@treasurewyche6572]

They find it the first time then they put a camera out there it's small but it follows it were ever it goes.theme they make it as a democracy

[@treasurewyche6572]

Treasure Wyche then

[@AV57]

Ironfist Doombringer, Slayer of Humans, Destroyer of Worlds The documenters are cyborgs who were created with only one purpose: tracking praying mantises.

[@jordanekelly3484]

I'm on your side how the hell did they do that one freaking mantis

[@barrywilliams3227]

When as a child we had mice I'm from Paterson NJ as a child the green ones were huge in the field back of my house 🏠 i had one and when my mom went too sleep i use too let him loose bye the stove and I ⌚ it kill and eat mice and I was fascinated

[@mantisman230]

I will have some and great documentary love the empusa pivvaponis as well

[@lindabond5002]

I love the mantis, I have gone out of my way to save the mantis from harm, and will continue to do so.