Praying mantises often exhibit colors ranging from vibrant greens to earthy browns. Many species can shift their body color, leading to questions about how their coloration is determined.
The Reality of Mantis Color Change
Many mantis species exhibit color change, and the transition to brown is common. This ability is not universal, but it is a characteristic for a considerable number of them. Mantises can transition from green to various shades of brown. Such changes typically occur over days or weeks, allowing the mantis to gradually match its surroundings.
Camouflage: The Driving Force
The primary evolutionary driver behind a mantis’s ability to change color is camouflage. Blending seamlessly with their environment is essential for both their hunting success and their survival against predators. As ambush predators, mantises rely on remaining undetected by their prey, such as insects, until they can strike. Similarly, their cryptic coloration helps them avoid being spotted by birds, reptiles, or other larger predators that might prey on them.
A brown mantis excels at blending into environments characterized by dry foliage, withered plants, or tree bark. In contrast, a green mantis is perfectly suited for lush, green vegetation like leaves and stems. The ability to shift between these colorations allows mantises to adapt to seasonal changes in their habitat, such as when green leaves turn brown in autumn. This adaptive trait directly enhances their chances of acquiring food and evading threats.
The Science Behind Color Transformation
Mantis color change involves specialized pigment cells within their outer layer, the cuticle. These cells contain pigments that can either disperse throughout the cell or concentrate into a small area. When pigments disperse, the area appears darker or more intensely colored; when they concentrate, the area appears lighter. This controlled movement of pigments allows for the subtle or significant shifts in coloration observed in mantises.
Hormones play a role in regulating these pigment changes. For example, juvenile hormone, known for its role in insect development, can also influence the synthesis and distribution of pigments in the cuticle. Environmental cues, such as changes in light intensity or the background color perceived by the mantis, can trigger hormonal responses that initiate the color transformation process.
Environmental and Life Cycle Influences
Several environmental factors can influence a mantis’s color change. Light intensity, for instance, can act as a cue, signaling changes in vegetation brightness or density. Humidity levels also play a role, as they often correlate with the vibrancy or dryness of plant life, further influencing the background color the mantis needs to match. Temperature can similarly affect plant conditions, indirectly prompting the mantis to adjust its coloration.
The mantis’s life cycle also impacts its ability to change color, particularly during molting. When a mantis sheds its old exoskeleton, the newly formed cuticle can harden with a different color, reflecting the current environmental conditions it experiences. While these environmental and developmental factors influence the timing and manifestation of color change, its purpose is to enhance the mantis’s camouflage for survival.