The European Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa L.) as a Predator of the Red-legged Grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum (De Geer))

Radioactive phosphorus was used as a tracer in assessing the number of red-legged grasshoppers (Melanoplus femurrubrum (De Geer)) eaten by the European praying mantis (Mantis religiosa L.) under seminatural conditions. The predator showed a functional response to changing prey densities with a continuously decreasing increase in the number of prey removed from the population.