Praying mantises mostly eat live insects. ... Praying mantises aren't generally known to bite humans, but it is possible. They could do it by accident if they see your finger as prey, but like most animals, they know how to correctly identify their food.

Does a praying mantis bite hurt?

The most a praying mantis will do to humans is bite or jab with the spikes on its front legs. This can hurt, but it won't really harm you. No more than a paper-cut or small nick. Just wash the area with soap and water and apply a band-aid.

Is it safe to hold a praying mantis?

For such an aggressive hunter, mantis can be strangely docile with their owners. A further benefit of praying mantis as pets therefore is that they can generally be handled quite safely. In general, a praying mantis will happily walk from hand to hand.