{"product_id":"the-praying-mantids-9780801861741","title":"The Praying Mantids","description":"\u003cp\u003ePraying mantids have fascinated people for thousands of years. In their Book of the Dead  ancient Egyptians honored the mantis as a minor deity  the \"Bird-Fly \" whose function was to conduct the souls of the dead to the netherworld. The Chinese bred mantids for fighting and celebrated their ferocity and foolhardy courage (they sometimes attack prey larger than themselves) in songs and poems. Today  mantids continue to seize the imaginations of serious researchers and backyard naturalists with their dramatic method of capturing prey  their bizarre \"sexual cannibalism \" and their appeal as \"beneficial\" insects. The Praying Mantids represents the current state of knowledge on these remarkable insects  bringing together all that is currently understood about their ecology  taxonomy  reproduction  sensory systems  motor behavior  and defense strategies. The chapters reflect the strong personal stamp and intellectual commitment of the contributors  who have all done pioneering work in mantid research. Many of the selections present ground-breaking data on topics not previously explored. The text is enhanced by numerous illustrations  including a gallery of color images  and a final section of the book covers information available nowhere else on rearing and breeding techniques. The foreword is written by Professor John Alcock  a leader in the field of animal behavior. Generously illustrated and admirably comprehensive  The Praying Mantids is an invaluable resource for researchers  students  and teachers in the life sciences  as well as a fascinating book for hobbyists and anyone interested in animal behavior and natural history. Chapters:  The Predatory Behavior of Mantids: Historical Attitudes and Contemporary Questions  Morphology and Taxonomy  Ecology of Praying Mantids  The Ecology and Foraging Strategy of Tenodera angustipennis  Mating Behavior  Hearing  Binocular Vision and Distance Estimation  Prey Recognition  Flight and Wing Kinematics  Prey Capture  The Hierarchical Organization of Mantid Behavior  Ontogeny of Defensive Behaviors  Ethology of Defense against Predators  Rearing Techniques  Developmental Time  and Life Span Data for Lab-Reared Sphodromantis lineola  Comparative Aspects of Rearing and Breeding Mantids  Mantids in Ecological Research  Histological Techniques for Mantid Research\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67681017921589,"sku":"ByrdShop_0801861748","price":273.71,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780801861741.jpg?v=1792074495","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-praying-mantids-9780801861741","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}