Thread: is it illegal to kill a pryamantis?

i live in AZ and i cought a pryamantis for a school project, is killing it illegal?

According to Wikipedia:

"... North American mantises are not included among threatened or endangered species, though species in other parts of the world are under threat from habitat destruction. The European mantis (Mantis religiosa) is the state insect of Connecticut and Virginia, but the General Statutes of Connecticut do not list any special protected status, as it is a non-native species from Europe and Northern Africa."

According to http://insects.about.com/b/2008/02/12/true-or-false-its-illegal-to-kill-a-praying-mantis.htm:

"True or False: It's Illegal to Kill a Praying Mantis
Tuesday February 12, 2008
Common knowledge, right? It's illegal to kill a praying mantis. Turns out that's an urban legend and completely false. It has never been illegal to kill a praying mantis in any U.S. state, nor is there any federal protection for mantids. No species of mantid is listed as threatened or endangered in the U.S. There are no fines for killing them.

That said, why would you want to harm one of these fascinating insects? Many gardeners consider them a beneficial insect, since they consume many of the pests afflicting our veggies. Two mantids are listed as official state insects: the European mantis in Connecticut, and the Carolina mantis in South Carolina."

So there you have it. It is not illegal to kill a praying mantis - but as above, why would you want to? These insects are beautiful and fascinating.