Crossword Genius

Insect male, one's eating insect (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

mantis

'insect' is the definition.
(I know that mantis is a type of dictyopterous insect)

'insect male one's eating' is the wordplay.
'insect' becomes 'ant' (ant is a kind of insect).
'male' becomes 'm' (common abbreviation).
'one's' becomes 'I's' (Roman numeral).
'eating' indicates putting letters inside.
'm'+'is'='mis'
'ant' put inside 'mis' is 'MANTIS'.

(Other definitions for mantis that I've seen before include "Insect in attitude of prayer" , "Preying animal, the female of which is deadlier than the male!" , "Actually it preys rather than prays" , "A praying . . . . . . is a kind of grasshopper" , "Carnivorous insect, which rests as if in prayer" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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