The film's concept is thought to be based on a 1932 story called Green Thoughts, by John Collier, about a man-eating plant. However, Dennis McDougal in Jack Nicholson 's biography suggests that Charles B. Griffith may have been influenced by Arthur C. Clarke 's sci-fi short story,  The Reluctant Orchid.The film stars Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, Mel Welles and Dick Miller, all of whom had worked for Corman on previous films.owever, Dennis McDougal in Jack Nicholson 's biography suggests that Charles B. Griffith may have been influenced by Arthur C. Clarke 's sci-fi short story,  The Reluctant Orchid. The film stars Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, Mel Welles and Dick Miller, all of whom had worked for Corman on previous films.
The European or Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) The European praying mantis (family: Mantidae, order: Orthoptera) officially became the State Insect on October 1, 1977.
For other uses, see Praying mantis (disambiguation) and Mantis (disambiguation). Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 430 genera in 15 families. The largest family is the Mantidae (mantids). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks.