I found out that we have a visitor. I saw this "little" guy yesterday from the balcony, but couldn't get a close enough look at him because I couldn't walk on the deck until today. I tried a picture, but it wasn't close enough, nor was it clear enough when I cropped in on the subject.
Wikipedia says this about the praying mantis:
Senses
Praying mantids, with their huge compound eyes mounted on the triangular head, have a large field of vision. They use sight for detecting movement of prey and then turn their mobile head to bring their prey into their binocular field of view. They are able to turn their head 180 degrees for excellent vision and hearing. Their antennae are used for smell.
Habitat
Diet
Being a carnivorous insect, the mantis feeds primarily on other insects. However, it is not uncommon for larger mantis to consume small reptiles and even small birds.[2]
To capture their prey, mantids use their camouflage to blend in with the surroundings and wait for the prey to be within striking distance. They then use their raptorial front legs to quickly snatch the victim and devour it.
Well, considering that our kitchen was suddenly over-run with tiny ants - who apparently live under our deck and didn't like the pressure-washing and staining processes - I think this is a welcome bug. I hope the frogs don't eat him, though.
Big Girl and Little Girl are off on an adventure to locate the praying mantis. They are on the phone with Older God-daughter, using the speaker on the cordless phone, and as the girls walked outside, I heard Big Girl say, "We're going out to find the praying mantis now. I wonder if it's praying to a Muslim..." (and then the door closed).
Christine
1 comment:
When my brother was younger, he would find praying mantises and make pets out of them. They actually make good pets. But I think they should be left in their own environment. BTW, I loved the photos of your deck.
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