The Effects of Sexual Dimorphism on Toxic Prey Avoidance in the Chinese Praying Mantis, Tenodera sinensis

This experiment strives to investigate if sex based behaviors in praying mantid feeding habits hold true when sexual dimorphism is not obvious in juvenile mantids Sensitivity to bitter tastes provides an important means for animals to detect various toxic compounds in food (Wooding et al.2006). In predators, taste sensitivity also allows animals to exploit nutritious but toxic food sources by monitoring the consumption of compounds that may cause illness or death (Wooding et al. 2006). Studies on the Chinese praying mantis, Tenodera sinensis, show that the mantids will wipe their mouths, shake, and reject bitter tasting toxic prey when it is encountered (Carle et al. 2015). Adult male mantids were found to have a more exaggerated response, lower level of acceptance, and reduced consumption of bitter prey compared to females who have higher nutritional requirements due to their larger bodies and reproductive cycles (Carle et al. 2015). A difference in juvenile mantid feeding behavior based on sex has not been observed (Paradise and Stamp, 1991)