2006-07-13 16:27:09 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Normally she doesn't!
In captivity there's normally nowhere for him to escape to - he's stuck in a cage with her - so she snacks on him! Mantids feel NO sense of kinship with their fellow mantids! They eat their brothers and sisters too..! There is NO biological purpose to it though - if she bites off his head it's only because she can't reach the rest of him!!! He can still finish mating without his head though, so arguably he dies happy...?!?!
; )
In the wild he has a good chance of escaping though, and he can mate with another female.
Only a handful of Mantis species stay alive long enough to 'watch over' their young nymphs - and they are more than likely to snack on their offspring when they look big enough to fill a corner!!
Basically a mantis is a loner - and any suitably sized critter that comes walking by, even another mantis, is just LUNCH!!
2006-07-16 01:23:40 · answer #1 · answered by _ 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The female is just hungry. The male will approach with all the caution it can, but is obviously still taking quite a risk. The male doesn't get eaten in all cases. Sometimes he does survive. Other than nutrition, there is no biological purpose. The male will breed even if it keeps it's head.
The main thing is that the males body will finish the mating process even with the head gone. Kind of like the way a chicken can run around after it gets it's head cut off. If your brain is small enough, it's not as important if you lose it.
2006-07-13 17:55:35 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the female doesn't bite the head off after mating, it bites the head off prior to mating as the male cannot breed with it's head on
2006-07-13 16:31:03 · answer #3 · answered by Phyllis T 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Ok, I was told that it was because the female has to hang around and watch over the young. (needs the calories)
2006-07-13 16:49:38 · answer #4 · answered by NoPoaching 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to prevent him mating with another female, which would create competing offspring.
and he is delicious.
2006-07-13 16:31:55 · answer #5 · answered by leadbelly 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hasta feed the Little mantasis
2006-07-13 16:58:22 · answer #6 · answered by wizard 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She kills him to eat him. His body nurishes the female and her young.
2006-07-13 16:32:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
well other than satisfying her urges, it gives her a burst of protine to help feed her eggs.
2006-07-13 16:31:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
to show him who's boss!
GIRL POWER!!!
2006-07-13 16:31:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋