Monomad: The Myth of the Praying Mantis

When I found a praying mantis in the mangrove forest, I remembered a myth from my childhood. What I understood at that time was that some people in my village believed that praying mantises had the ability to read the cardinal directions.
The praying mantis knew exactly the direction of west, east, south, and north.

The story begins when a man gets lost in the woods. After a few days of being lost, the man doesn't know the way home. Desperate, the man asks for directions to a praying mantis resting on a tree branch. Then, the praying mantis lifted one of its legs facing forward. Whether it was intentional or not, the praying mantis was scratching.

This good fortune was told to the villagers, so that many people began to believe that the praying mantis could be a substitute for a compass that knew exactly the four cardinal directions. Regardless of whether the story was true or not, along with the development of science and logical insight, people began to realize that the story was just a fairy tale. Maybe, some people still believe in the navigational abilities of praying mantises.

I don't know, whether the praying mantis has navigational abilities or as a substitute for a compass can be proven by scientific research?

The praying mantis is known by the scientific term Mantis religiosa

I'm going to put this(The Myth of the Praying Mantis)into a daily #monomad contest organized and curated by @monochromes

Photo taken in the estuary area of Krueng Meuraksa River, Lhokseumawe, Sumatra. On Sunday, December 31, 2024.

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