The key difference between praying mantis and walking stick depends on the type of nutrition they rely on. Praying mantis is carnivorous as it relies on insects for nutrition while walking stick is herbivorous as it relies on plant matter for nutrition.
Praying mantis and walking stick are two types of insects in the environment. Both organisms are highly camouflaged. They come in similar colors and live in close proximity to plants. Although these two insects have some certain similarities, they also show varying differences with regards to their nutrition, breeding, and human interactions. Thus, this article attempts to highlight the difference between praying mantis and walking stick.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Praying Mantis
3. What is Walking Stick
4. Similarities Between Praying Mantis and Walking Stick
5. Side by Side Comparison – Praying Mantis vs Walking Stick in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is Praying Mantis?
Praying mantis, or the praying mantid, is an insect we can find mainly among bushes, trees, and plants. Up to date, over 1500 species of praying mantises have been identified. They prefer environments rich in small insects since they can fulfill their nutritional requirements. Moreover, they grow well in warm climates. Generally, they appear to be green to brown in color and often look like plant leaf structures. Thus, they are highly camouflaged. Structurally, praying mantis has a distinct triangular shaped head. Their bodies take the shape of a long torso. They also possess back legs for attachment. Moreover, they have special spine-like structures in their front legs that are useful in catching their prey.
Figure 01: Praying Mantis
Praying mantis is a predatory insect. Therefore, they mainly depend on insects for their nutrition. Thus, they belong to the category of carnivores. Besides, a use of praying mantis sometimes is as a biological control agent as they show an insecticidal activity
Praying Mantis reproduce using eggs; hence, they are oviparous in nature. The female praying mantis can lay up to 300 -400 eggs per time. In actual phenomena, these eggs hatch during the spring season. These show a larval stage where the initial stage is a nymph stage. Then, they eventually develop into a mature praying mantis within a period of a year.
What is Walking Stick?
Walking stick, also called stick insect, is an insect that lives in close interaction with bushes and trees. They are brown to green in color and appear as sticks in a plant, which is suggestive of their name. Therefore, they can hide from most of their predators.
Walking sticks depend on plant material for their nutritional requirement. Thus, they belong to the group of herbivores. They show active eating patterns, mostly in the night hours.
Figure 02: Walking stick
The reproduction of walking sticks also takes place through eggs. Therefore, they are oviparous insects. The female lays about 150 eggs and they undergo an initial nymph stage before becoming an adult insect. They live for nearly a season. Moreover, walking sticks are sometimes collected in jars and kept as ornaments due to their appealing appearance.
What are the Similarities Between Praying Mantis and Walking Stick?
- Both praying mantis and walking stick are insects.
- They live in close proximity to plants, bushes, and trees.
- Also, both insects are highly camouflaged and appear brown to green in color.
- Moreover, both are oviparous, born from eggs.
- And, they both undergo a nymph stage before becoming an adult during their life cycle.
What is the Difference Between Praying Mantis and Walking Stick?
The main difference between the praying mantis and walking stick depends on their nutrition mode. Praying mantis is carnivorous whereas walking stick is herbivorous. Besides, there is a difference between praying mantis and walking stick in the number of eggs the female lays. Female praying mantis lays about 300 – 400 eggs. In comparison, the female walking stick lays up to 150 eggs per time. Moreover, the praying mantis is used as a biological control agent to control the insects that harm the crops while the dead walking stick is seen to be used as ornament by pressing it and hanging it inside the bottles.
The below info-graphic represents more information regarding the difference between praying mantis and walking stick.
Summary – Praying Mantis vs Walking Stick
The group insect comprises the highest number of organisms in the world. The praying mantis and the walking stick are two insects associated with plants and bushes. They are camouflaged insects. Both organisms reproduce by laying eggs, however, the number of eggs laid per time differs. The main difference between praying mantis and walking stick lies in their nutritional patterns. Praying mantis is predatory and depends on other insects; hence it is carnivorous. However, the walking stick depends on plant matter; thus, it is herbivorous.
Reference:
1. “Praying Mantis.” Praying Mantis Bug Facts, Available here.
2. “Walking Stick.” Walking Stick Insect Facts, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Praying mantis india” By Shiva shankar – Taken at karkala, Karnataka as a praying mantis (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “1599194” (CC0) via Pixabay