However, female mantids enjoy eating their mates. Eating your mate is a surefire way to prevent infidelity, although it isn’t the most appetizing option. Cannibalism is possible because female mantids seem elephantine compared to their male counterparts. To illustrate, if humans had the same dimensions as a mantis then a 5.5’ man would have a 14 foot partner. Due to their size, females savor overpowering and consuming males while mating. Mating requires a copious amount of energy, and females need nourishment to optimize their egg production. To a mating female, males resemble fun-sized candy bars: delicious and convenient with enough energy to last until dinner. The size disparity between males and females favors sexual selection. Larger females can support more eggs while smaller males can escape females and mate …show more content…
Since males fertilize their offspring, they don’t need the extra mass that females possess. Female mantids are scarce, so males must be quick, tiny, and prepared to mate at a moment’s notice if they wish to share their genes. However, males still must be careful when approaching females because, if the females perceive weakness, they will strike. A female mantis believes any male who can’t dominate her doesn’t deserve to reproduce, so she’s does the species a favor by ingesting him. Even when a male catches a female by surprise, he still might fail to mate if she manages to dislodge