Praying mantis

[Morganna]

Here is a video I took last week of a praying mantis. I saw 4 or 5 mantis that day, all at the same time, so I know it wasn't one that had moved.
I had never recorded with my camera before, so I missed the mantis catching it's prey. I was literally standing right there beside it trying to keep an eye on it while I fiddled with the camera, and then boom! It had already caught it and I had missed it. Sorry for the bad video, my dad insisted on starting it off, and then eventually handing it off to me once I asked for it.

 

[DragonScales+Doubletails]

You can keep these little guys in 2.5 gallon tanks!

wow! Then I know what I'm doing down the road

 

[Rocky998]

What the prey sees right before being eaten:

 

[Rocky998]

the ones I have now live in a 20 long. they are about the size of a nickel or quarter

Really cool! Maybe I can do them one day... Do they need a water section in the tank? Obviously they need drinking water but I mean like an actual aquatic secrion

 

[GaryE]

I used to keep some when I was a kid, until my mom found out. I released them (they were native species caught in the yard). I doubt I would have been able to properly feed them in winter, so it was for the best.
I named mine after one set of my cousins, who prayed a lot and ate everything in sight when they visited.

 

[FishandBirdLover]

Wow, you are lucky! He is handsome!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Oh, those are COOL. We don't have mantids here. Actually, there is said to be a ground mantis that lives out in the deserts around here, but I've never seen one.

 

[DragonScales+Doubletails]

Oh, those are COOL. We don't have mantids here. Actually, there is said to be a ground mantis that lives out in the deserts around here, but I've never seen one.

yeah, we rarely see mantids in my parts of Washington, I think someone hatched an ootheca and released it.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

This is the kind that's native to Wyoming. They aren't ambush hunters like most mantids. They run other bugs down and kill them! So cool. I hope I get the opportunity to watch some.

Litaneutria minor - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Colin_T]

What the prey sees right before being eaten:
View attachment 166476

Takes of thong (flipflop for the US) and looks at bug. To swat or not, that is the question?

runnnnnnnnn....

 

[Rocky998]

Takes of thong (flipflop for the US) and looks at bug. To swat or not, that is the question?

runnnnnnnnn....

The MIB just needed some sandals... That's all. Don't see why they needed the big plasma gun thingys.

 

[Colin_T]

The MIB just needed some sandals... That's all. Don't see why they needed the big plasma gun thingys.

Guns look more official than 2 guys in black suits running around with a pair of thongs trying to whack giant space bugs.

Hi, where from the department.
Why are you carrying a pr of flip flops?
We're exterminators ma'am.

 

[DragonScales+Doubletails]

 

[Rocky998]

Bug juice...

 

[GLAB]

Cool Pic !

We have a large population of praying mantis in our yard. I happen to catch a Hatch Out one afternoon. The photo details the Egg Case and Babies exiting and walking around for the first time ! The Egg Case was on one of the posts holding up our Garden Arbor.