Where Do Praying Mantis Sleep? (5 Cool Facts)

Lately, we are seeing more and more people showing interest in keeping praying mantises as pets. Among the questions that people who want to keep praying mantises as pets tend to pose is the one on where the mantises sleep. Read on, to find the answer to that question.

Where do praying mantis sleep? We will start by finding out whether praying mantises sleep actively. Then (if they do sleep) we will proceed to find out how and where exactly the mantises sleep.

Does A Praying Mantis Actively Sleep?

Yes, the praying mantis is one of those few insects that get to actively sleep on a regular basis. So they don’t just passively rest. They get to actively sleep.

Many people who keep mantises as pets report numerous incidents in which they have found the praying mantises sleeping.

There is even some scientific literature that documents the phenomenon of praying mantises sleeping.

Therefore a praying mantis does actively sleep.

How Does A Praying Mantis Sleep?

Having found out that praying mantises do actively sleep, the next question is on how exactly they do it.

So, how do mantises sleep? The way mantises sleep is by adopting a relaxed posture, drooping their heads and then seemingly zoning off. While sleeping, their eyes remain open though. This is because they don’t have eyelids to close.

Do praying mantis sleep upside down (like other related insects)? The answer is ‘yes’, to some extent: which is why they have the droopy downwards posture while sleeping.

Another related question: do praying mantis stay in one place while sleeping? The answer is ‘yes’ – unless something happens to startle them.

Where Do Praying Mantis Sleep?

After establishing that a praying mantis does sleep, the subsequent logical question is on where does a praying mantis sleep?

To have a proper understanding of the praying mantis sleeping phenomenon, one needs to know not only if they sleep and how they sleep, but also where they sleep.

Where do praying mantis sleep? In some instances, praying mantises sleep on the ground. Brown praying mantis that are sleeping on the ground get to camouflage well. In other instances, mantises sleep on leaves and plant stems. Green praying mantises that are sleeping on leaves or stems also get camouflage cover.

One may want to be more specific, and seek to know, where do praying mantis sleep at night? That turns out to be on the ground, on plant leaves or on plant stems.

Another related question there is on where exactly do praying mantis sleep during the day? And that too turns out to be either on the ground, on plant leaves or on stems. But most species seem to prefer hunting during the day, then sleeping at night.

Their preferred sleeping locations are either on the ground, or on plant leaves or on stems.

Those are also the places where they like hiding. If you research on where do praying mantis like to hide, you will see that it is usually on the ground, leaves and stems.

They like hiding at such locations due to the mantis camouflage factor. Those are also the locations they sleep at.

How Do You Know When A Praying Mantis Is Sleeping?

You can tell that a praying mantis is sleeping by observing its posture and activity (or lack thereof).

A sleeping praying mantis tends to droop downwards.

It also tends to be completely inactive: only springing into action when strongly poked.

Here, one may ask, are praying mantis nocturnal? And the answer is ‘yes’ – as most praying mantis species tend to be active during the day. Then they sleep at night. So the mantises are nocturnal.

How Long Do Praying Mantises Sleep?

Praying mantises often sleep the entire nights. Thus they can sleep for many hours at a stretch.

Sometimes though, male praying mantis may interrupt their night sleep to go out in search of females. These females often end up eating up the males though, as they have cannibalistic tendencies.

However, when they don’t have mating rendezvous, mantises tend to sleep pretty much the entire nights.

Final Verdict – Where Do Praying Mantis Sleep

Praying mantises normally sleep on the ground, on plant leaves or on plant stems.

The brown mantises tend to sleep on the ground: where the color of earth offers them camouflage protection.

They may also sleep on the stems of plants that happen to have brownish color, or on dry plant matter.

The green mantises tend to sleep on plant leaves and stems, where the (green) vegetative matter color offers them camouflage.

Thus at times, you may find a mantis on the ground, on a plant leaf or on a plant stem, and it is motionless with a droopy/downwards posture. You need to know that such a mantis may be sleeping and therefore not disturb it.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet mantis a good and comfortable life!

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! ❤️