Are Praying Mantis Smart? 5 Interesting Facts

Praying mantis is a carnivorous insect that is beneficial for humans. Mantis can hunt tons of different types of pests and acts as organic pest control.

The frightening appearance of the praying mantis and its unique behavior makes pet owners ask the following.

Are Praying Mantis smart? Studies have shown praying mantis is a smart insect, but it’s intelligence is not at the top of the list. Praying mantises are among the smartest of predatory insects from their hunting behaviors, because they can learn from negative experiences. Praying mantis have the capacity to be adaptive hunters and always figure out how to get closer to the food they want to hunt.

The intelligence of mantis to become a predator makes farmers and gardeners call praying mantis as crop protectors. Keep reading as we dive about some questions about mantis intelligence.

Are Praying Mantis Smart?

Are praying mantis intelligent? Praying mantis is an intelligent insect that is capable of continuously adapting when catching prey and learning from negative experiences.

Mantis have the skill set to choose food that they think is delicious to stay alive. Mantis will not repeat the same mistake when they eat prey with a bitter taste, and mantis can modify the way they hunt specific types of prey.

Are Praying Mantis The Smartest Insect?

Are mantids intelligent? Yes, but are mantis smartest compared to other insects? Not really. There are still many insects that have more intelligence than mantises, such as ants and bees.

Bees can make choices about their routes for collecting pollen and nectars, and can communicate with each other.

Ants are insects that are quick learners, with the memory and recognition to find their home again.

Praying mantis do not have the same level of intelligence as ants or bees, but mantis are still considered smart from the way they learn from mistakes when catching prey.

Do Praying Mantis Have Memory?

It is not clear whether praying mantis has memory or not, but new research states that praying mantis has memory and response capacity to access images and objects in 3 dimensions.

This ability is unique to the mantis as a way of learning in hunting various types of insects, that other insects do not have this capability.

Is Praying Mantis Smarter Than Humans?

No. Praying mantis only has less than a million neurons, while the human brain has 85 billion neurons. Praying mantis are only categorized as smart when compared to several insects, but they are still not smarter than bees, ants, or cockroaches.

One of the advantages of praying mantis is their vision and having access to 3D vision. Mantis can assess their entire surroundings, making it easier for them to see and approach prey.

Is Praying Mantis Smarter Than A Grasshopper?

Praying mantis are considered smarter than a grasshopper. The significant difference between mantis and grasshopper is their food. Grasshoppers eat green leafy plants, while praying mantis can turn grasshoppers into their prey.

To make it easier to compare praying mantis and grasshoppers, try checking the table below.

Has Your Mantis Ever Surprised You With Intelligence?

Even though the praying mantis is not as smart as other insects, we still need to do the mantis intelligence appreciation.

Praying mantis have excellent eyesight, can see 3D vision of their surroundings, are adaptive hunters who can learn from mistakes, and can find any way to successfully ambush their prey.

Final Verdict

Praying mantis is a smart insect. Mantis are among the smartest of predatory insects. They can observe and modify their hunting behaviors to suit the prey they will kill.

Praying mantis can learn and adapt to stay alive and look for delicious food. Even though praying mantis are not as smart as bees or ants, they have the memory and response capacity to assess what they see in front of them in 3 dimensions.

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️