Responses to non-locomotive prey models by the praying mantis, Tenodera angustipennis saussure

Adult females of the praying mantis Tenodera angustipennis were presented with computer-generated images, and the attractiveness of 'non-locomotive' prey models was examined. Mantises fixated and struck the 'body and leg' model (consisting of an immobile black square on a white background with 2 black lines oscillating randomly at its sides) more frequently than the 'leg' model (only oscillating lines) or the 'body' model (static square only). This indicates that the model consisting of a static object and moving lines effectively elicits mantis strike behavior, although it is 'non-locomotive'.