Praying mantises (Choeradodis rhomboidea). These specimens, from French Guiana, South America, have been preserved so that their haemolymph (body fluid) can be extracted. It has a distinctive kite-shaped shield behind the head and upper body. Mantids are sit-and-wait predators, catching prey with their large front legs. Females also consume their mates during or after mating. This and other insects are being screened in search of new antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-cancer drugs by a company called Entomed, based in Strasbourg in France. Between 1999 and 2003, Entomed analysed more than 175 novel molecules with potential medical effects.