# Whats the best most informative mantis book?



## Dartania (Nov 17, 2005)

Hey everyone, Whats the best most informative mantis book in your opinions? we already have Keeping Aliens, which is good, but I want something more thourough, that documents every species found, and REALLY goes into mantis behavior, genetics, ect.. I know there are a couple out there, and pretty expensive, so before I shell out my hard earned mula, I want to know which to buy..Thanks!!

DART


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## hortus (Nov 17, 2005)

take this website and print it on paper and boom theres your answer


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## Dartania (Nov 17, 2005)

haha, true!! :lol:


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## Johnald Chaffinch (Nov 17, 2005)

i'd agree, he's not just saying it :roll:


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## Jesse (Nov 17, 2005)

You are not going to find a book documenting every species found. There may be a few journal articles related to specific species genetics. Prete and Hurd's The Praying Mantids does a very good job covering behavior and anatomy and morphology, and also has an extensive bibliography.


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## Rick (Nov 17, 2005)

> You are not going to find a book documenting every species found. There may be a few journal articles related to specific species genetics. Prete and Hurd's The Praying Mantids does a very good job covering behavior and anatomy and morphology, and also has an extensive bibliography.


What he said. It's quite technical though.


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## Christian (Nov 18, 2005)

Hi.

Jesse is not right regarding the "documentation of species". There is a German book called "Mantodea - Gottesanbeterinnen der Welt" (Mantodea - praying mantids of the world) by R. Ehrmann, covering *all* (!) species and most synonyms known until 2002. It's more a catalogue, including several photos and some info to general aspects of mantid behavior and morphology. It's in German, though. However, it may be possible that the author will publish a second edition, this time also translated into English. I am not sure about this point.

The species and generic names however are well understandable. I would buy both books. Prete et al. for ecology, physiology and anatomy, and Ehrmann for taxonomy and morphology.

Regards,

Christian


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## Jesse (Nov 18, 2005)

> Hi.Jesse is not right regarding the "documentation of species". There is a German book called "Mantodea - Gottesanbeterinnen der Welt" (Mantodea - praying mantids of the world) by R. Ehrmann, covering *all* (!) species and most synonyms known until 2002. It's more a catalogue, including several photos and some info to general aspects of mantid behavior and morphology. It's in German, though. However, it may be possible that the author will publish a second edition, this time also translated into English. I am not sure about this point.
> 
> The species and generic names however are well understandable. I would buy both books. Prete et al. for ecology, physiology and anatomy, and Ehrmann for taxonomy and morphology.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I wasn't right, but try getting a hold of that on this side of the pond! I didn't mention it because it is pretty much impossible to get over here and I wasn't exactly sure how much info it had in it (because I've never seen it). It would be great if it could get translated and made available over here in North America.


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## Christian (Nov 18, 2005)

Hi.

I am always astonished how difficult it is for Americans to get European stuff, say books, money, etc. :shock:

We, on the other side, get everything here, I even managed to get Prete et al. within a week. 8)

Maybe trying amazon or e-bay could help.

Regards,

Christian


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## ellroy (Nov 18, 2005)

I saw this book on a german website (http://www.ms-verlag.de/Wissenschaft.6.0.html) a few months back but have not found it on amazon or ebay unfortunately.....not that I could understand it but it has some nice pictures :lol: 

I have a copy of Prete et al arriving in the next week or so.....they do sell it on the UK amazon for about £75 but I managed to get it a lot cheaper on the US version.....even paying extra to get it shipped to the UK is still cheaper than the UK price!

I guess at the end of the day this is an obscure hobby and literature is not likely to be held at your local bookshop!

I would be very interested if anyone can find a UK source for "Mantodea - Gottesanbeterinnen der Welt"......

Danke! :wink:

Alan


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## Chris Dickie (Nov 18, 2005)

ellroy, interesting find, with help of my friendly translator website heres the description in English:

God admirers are truly fascinating animals, and this volume shows the impressing insects in all its absurd beauty. Monika studied during many excursion and Richard Fellinger – both skilled nature photographers – over several years Mantis religiosa abundantly in the living space and became acquainted with so these extraordinary robbers as well as the animals and plant life in its Biotop outstanding. The enormous expense was worthwhile: what this picture volume in the best sense offers at insights into the private life of the God admirers, at entirely special receptions of fauna and Flora, his equal seeks. So it succeeded the authors couple for the first time to observe a relation new even for the profession totally between Mantis and parasitierenden wasp not only for the first time, but rather to document even in extremely hard to shooting, but all the more more spectacular highlights of the nature photograph. This book is a festival for the eyes, a dainty for Naturbegeisterte and an aha-experience for everyone, that yet can marvel.

Seems "Gottesanbeterinnen " Literally means god admirers, lol, quite similar to our name for them

not actually had a chance to read this decription until I post it so see how it looks, lol

EDIT: P.S. the engliah books are sold by some of the wholesalers in the UK so it may be possible to get a copy

also I would recommend "The Praying Mantids" - only got a brief look but looked great. If you are wanting articles use some of the online search engines of journals then either try and find them on the web or find a library that holds the journal (likely a uni or depository library in the UK)


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## Christian (Nov 18, 2005)

Hi.

This translation is actually for another upcoming book about _Mantis religiosa_ only. The one I mentioned is by another author.

Christian


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## Dartania (Nov 18, 2005)

wow thanks! I want that german book! So begins the search.... i will let everyone know if I can find it here. i'm going to try to contact the publisher. That sounds like the motherload.....

Thanks


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## nedweenie (Nov 19, 2005)

I have &amp; like the Prete book, and also have "Grasshoppers &amp; Mantids of the World" by Ken Preston-Mafham that I got off eBay. It is small, and not nearly as scholarly as Prete, but pretty good and has info on other bug species (roaches &amp; grasshoppers &amp; crickets) as well as the mantids.


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## francisco (Nov 19, 2005)

I was able to get my mantids book

Mantodea Gottesanbeterinnen der Welt.

Excellent book, I paid 100 dollars for it and it came from my friends contact in England.

regards

FT


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