Most mantis species are cannibalistic. Eating prey isn’t the only feeding that praying mantises do. ... On the other hand, if the male is only exposed to one female during its lifetime, he will linger around after copulation so that the female might eat him afterwards. Adegsm / Getty Images. In fact, while mating she will rip the head off of the male and later eat his body. Yes, Female Praying Mantises Do Eat Their Mates. by Jesslyn Shields Oct 30, 2020. After mating, the female stores the male's sperm and later uses it to fertilise the eggs that she produces. Females will sometimes bite a male’s head off after mating. In some species of praying mantis, females eat the head of their mate after copulation. Of the species of praying mantises known to exhibit sexual cannibalism it is estimated up to 28% of males are eaten by their partner. The female typically begins by biting off her partner’s head, and she works down from there. Female praying mantis eat their male partner after sexual intercourse as it may increase their fertility and ensure the potential survival of the species, scientists have said. This gives her the nutrients she needs to lay eggs. The praying mantis is well-known for two things: 1) the posture that makes it look like the insect is praying, and 2) the fact that the female often devours the male throughout the mating process. A praying mantis will eat or try to eat just about any insect it can grab a hold of and is not strong enough to fight back, and another mantis is no exception. The female praying mantis is notorious for killing her mate after intercourse. This is actually a topic of debate though many researchers deny the hypothesis. An orchid mantis perches atop flower petals. It is said that only 15% of praying mantis females consume a male after mating. Paradoxically, then, the female praying mantis's sexual cannibalism may have an evolutionary advantage for both the female and the male. However, when mating, females are less likely to attack a male. Praying mantises are supremely gifted in camouflage. In praying mantises, around 25 per cent of all sexual encounters result in the death of the male. i really dont know why they eat the male...but..yeah on youtube i was watching videos and praying mantis's can eat humming birds and lizzards :O kind of scary but they dont harm humans :D. Source(s): me :D. 1 7. In praying mantids, females eat their male mates around 30% of the time. The male will have more of his genes passed on to the next generation if he fertilizes more eggs, and more eggs are laid by females who eat their mates—88 vs. 37.5, in one study. 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