Is a Praying Mantis Good Luck?

The name "praying mantis" is Greek and translates literally into "prophet" or "diviner," so it is not odd that in France, for example, sighting a mantis signifies the return to home of a lost child. In other cultures, a praying mantis points the way to Mecca. Whatever a mantis represents to the world, in the insect realm, it is a determined predator that uses its prayer-like front legs to grab and eat prey alive.