Draft 1: Project Mantis
This topic submitted by Kevin Bechtel, Lauren Dean, Alex Kolakowski, Justin Beadle, Majida Al-Husaam (j_beads@hotmail.com) at 9:15 pm on 10/22/01. Additions were last made on Thursday, October 3, 2002. Section: Dorsey
Kevin Bechtel, Lauren Dean, Alex Kolakowski, Justin Beadle, Majida Al-HusaamProject Mantis:
An insightful look into the world of animal camouflage and coloration
Introduction
Project Mantis hopes to raise praying mantises and record their size and color change as they mature. We will be raising the mantises in different colored containers and observing their ability to change to these colors as they molt. We know praying mantises can change colors to match their natural environment, green and brown, but we are uncertain as to whether they can conform their color to that of an unnatural environment, red, blue, yellow, or polka-dotted. We hypothesize that the mantises will not be able to change to unnatural colors. We believe that these mantises will change to natural colors, green and brown, that are closest to the color of their environment. We also hypothesize that the mantises will grow more slowly in the unnatural environments.
By rearing Mantises from birth we hope to obtain an interesting view of its development, especially its early molting stages. In this phase a praying mantis sheds its exoskeleton and is white until its new exoskeleton hardens into the color of its environment. As we watch our mantises grow we hope to see if they can change to colors other than those found in nature.
This project interests our group because it provides an interesting window into the world of animal coloration and camouflage. It is amazing that animals like the praying mantis have the ability to change their color to protect themselves. By performing this experiment we hope to see how flexible the praying mantis’ camouflaging ability is.
Relevance of Our Research Question
We searched Brill Library for information on science experimentation involving praying mantises. We did not find much information on actually experimentation however we did discover several resources on praying mantises and animal coloration.
In our research we have found praying mantises can change colors each time they molt. However we have not been able to uncover any information on the limits of this color changing. Perhaps this is because praying mantises are more difficult to experiment with than some of the larger color changing animals such as a chameleon or cuttlefish.
The discovery channel had a special on chameleons in which they tested their color change flexibility. In one case a chameleon in a polka-dotted environment was able to develop a fairly good rendition of this pattern.
By performing this experiment we hope to find how specialized the praying mantis’ color change ability is. We hope to see if the praying mantis has a pure ability to change colors or if it has developed a specialized ability to conform to its natural environment.
Materials
1 Large Pretzel Container
1 Heat Lamp
15 Large Ziploc Containers
Construction Paper
1 Praying Mantis Egg Case
Crickets
Thermometer
Methods
Preparation
1. Cut air holes in the top of the pretzel container as well as the tops of each of the 15 large Ziploc containers.
2. Separate the Ziploc containers into 5 groups of three. Assign each group a color (Red, Yellow, Blue, Polka-Dotted), including one control group (with no color).
3. Cover the inside of each container with the color of its group. Also roll some of the construction paper and create a twig, tall enough for the mantis to hang from and molt. In the control group’s containers create a natural habitat using leave and twigs.
4. In the pretzel container place a large twig and hang the praying mantis egg case from it.
5. Put the pretzel container under the heat lamp and use the thermometer to monitor its temperature. Make sure to keep the temperature around in the egg case’s environment above 75 degrees so it will hatch.
Raising the Manti
1. Once the Manti hatch and are large enough to handle place 1 mantis in each of the smaller Ziploc containers. Measure each mantis the best you can and take a digital picture of it. The remaining mantises are not needed and can be released outside or kept. They are cannibalistic so they will need to be separated or kept in very large containers.
2. Depending on your preference feed the mantises each day or ever other day.
3. Every Tuesday and Saturday Measure the mantises and record their color change with a digital photo. Compare each mantises’ photo with its last and see if any color change is observable. If not the picture may be deleted. Make sure to record there was no color change if the picture is deleted.
4. At the end of five weeks take one last measurement and photo of the mantises and then release them or take them home as pets.
Raising the Mantises’ Food
1. The mantises are very small when they first hatch and will need to be fed very tiny crickets. These crickets can be fed with bread and kept in an aquarium.
Data Sheet
I was not able to paste the data sheet onto the web, however a copy is included in our actual lab packet.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bragg, P.E. “Praying Mantids.” 21 Oct. 2001 “Chameleon.” Discovery Channel, 2001.
Chapman, R.F. The Insects: Structure and Function. New York: American Elsevier Publishing Company, 1971.
Fabre, Jean Henri. “The Praying Mantis.” Insects. London: Paul Elk Limited, 1979.
Fogden, Michael and Patricia. Animals and Their Colours. Netherlands: Eurobook Limited, 1974.
Frye, Fredic L. “Praying Mantises.” Captive Invertebrates: A Guide to their Biology and Husbandry. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company, 1992.
Lyon, William F. “Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet: Praying Mantis.”
10 Oct. 2001 Teale, Edwin. The Strange Lives of Familiar Insects. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1962.
Wigglesworth, V.B. The Life of Insects. Cleveland: The World Publishing Company, 1964.
21 Oct. 2001
21 Oct. 2001 < http://www.earthlife.net/insects/mantodea.html>
21 Oct. 2001
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