I was sat having an evening coffee on my veranda when a big bug flew between myself and the wife. At first, I was a little confused as it was brown in colour but looked very much like a praying mantis. Here in the Philippines, we see many of these amazing creatures but so far all the ones I have seen are always bright green, after a bit of investigation I found that these crazy critters do indeed exist in brown so I learned something new today. Maybe not as exciting to look at as their green counterparts but all the same an interesting specimen.
Grabbing my camera I managed to snap off a couple of shots, although with it being a dark evening some additional light was needed so unfortunately there is some reflection from its eyes. Here are a few of the photos I captured of this fascinating insect.
Alien-like invader.
Cool wing pattern.
I also learned that the mantis is a member of the same family as crabs shrimps and cockroaches known as arthropods, quite a surprise to me.
My cousin is a shrimp.
Mantids are ferocious hunters capable of taking on prey up to four times their own size. Striking at lightning speed faster than the human eye can see. On the menu are insects, small rodents such as mice, birds, and each other, yes they are cannibals.
Don't mess with me.
Cannibalism extends to their love life, during mating the female bites off the males head and continues to copulate with her headless partner, once the act is over she proceeds to eat him, now that's tough love. After laying her eggs she then dies leaving their young without parents.
Off with his head!
While on the subject of heads this guy has five eyes on his, two large outer ones with 180-degree vision and three smaller ones in between its antenna, seen here as small dots.
All-round vision.
In many parts of the world mantis are considered lucky if found in your property, in particular, Christian nations where the clasped hands are seen as a blessing.
Let's pray.
Well, that's me done for now, hope you enjoyed my post, until we meet again stay safe folks!
The mantis always frightens me! Even though I have goosebumps, nice photos. :)
They are harmless to us but I understand I hate their close relation the cockroach.
I see a lot of the brown mantis here in Nigeria. Same as the green ones too. It's been a long time since I saw any though. Maybe because I'm no longer paying attention.
Too many hot young ladies in your viewfinder, I would be distracted too:)
I read your comment and laughed so hard. Well, you are quite correct.
Haha, I'm just jealous.
I did not know that about mantids being in the same family as shrimp. But looking back on it it makes a lot of sense.
I've always liked mantids.
I got three mantis stories.
For a short while i practiced southern mantis kung fu. Ok thats all I got for that story.
One time i was just wrapping up some yard work and i plopped down on the couch to enjoy some tv when something bit me on the middle of my back. I went wth has gotten down my shirt. I start fidgeting around trying get it out whatever it was. I was figuring spider. When it bit me again...and again. Finally i pulled my shirt off and a green mantis popped out.
Final story. It was late on a friday night and i was drunk leaving a sushi bar in my old neighborhood. There on the sidewalk in the beam of a flood light was the biggest praying mantis i ever saw. So what does a drunk guy do in a situation like this. I pick up a small twig, crouch down and try to poke at it. Instantly the thing spread itsmarms and its wings. I didnt expect that and startled i leapt back and fell on my ass. Dumb drunk dave
Haha, knocked on your ass by a mantis but it was a big one you said so seems like a fair fight.
I had one go crazy at me many years back in Thailand, chased me all over my bungalow, had me ducking and diving, funny how soft we can be at times.
Yeah right. I didn't know at the time the thing had wings. When it spread them and squared off against me it suddenly got three times bigger snd scarier. Like that scene in jurassic park where the dinosaur seemed innocent enough until it unfurled its neck frills and spat venom at the computer guy and ate him.
Well, hopefully, you didn't have a too bigger audience when you took a dive, it's hard to live down being freaked by a 4-inch critter.
It was five inches ok! Five inches! a monster!
Probably were plenty of people around. I was too out of it to notice though.
What you can't remember didn't happen is my way of thinking.
We've all had those nights st one time or another
One time i walked in dress shoes from a nightclub in hollywood and found myself soaking wet in venice beach ten miles away. I had no idea how i had got there but I no I made in on foot. No recollection at all of the 8 hour hike through very bad neighborhoods to get there st all. But i know i had worn two holes through the soles of my shoes that night from walking.
#posh
Which lens you use?
This was just my Olympus tg4 compact. Normally use Canon 60mm macro.
Looks like an awesome model for your photographs 😉 very well captured
Thank you, yes it seemed happy to sit and pose:)