Mantids

Female mantids don’t always differentiate between prey and sexual partners. They apparently frequently consume the male’s head during mating. This behaviour is seemingly intended to cut a nerve to inhibit the male's copulatory movements. Even headless, though, the male continues to move.

Praying mantids and Chinese mantids (the two species found in Quebec) are allowed to be imported into North America because they are considered beneficial insects. In Ontario and the United States, mantid oothecae are sold commercially to gardeners as a form of biological pest control. The effectiveness of these insects in preventing pest damage remains doubtful though, given that there are generally not enough mantids in one garden to make a significant impact. Moreover, these predators feed on all sorts of insects, good or bad. It can still be worthwhile to leave oothecae in the garden as an easy way to observe mantids in their natural environment. Children and adults alike will be fascinated by the insect's behaviour, as they see the larvae emerge from the ootheca or watch the adults capture and eat their prey.