Whether you spell the name of this insect with an "A" or an "E" it still sounds the same and it still fits equally well. On the one hand, it could be Praying Mantis since it appears to be in some kind of spiritual meditation. On the other hand, it could just as easily be Preying Mantis since it is more or less always waiting for an unfortunate creature to make a meal of. Either interpretation works as a reasonable name for this insect, but Praying Mantis is the correct name nonetheless. Oddly enough, the Praying Mantis is closely related to the lowly cockroach, which seems even more strange given the fact that the Praying Mantis is one of the few insects likely to be kept as a pet. Of course, exotic cockroaches are occasionally kept as pets, but that's another issue altogether.