My second favourites (spiders are first), they are gorgeous! I watched a huge tyke eat a spider like that once, it was sad for the spider but awesome to watch a mantis in action. Those are spectacular photos.
You've got to wonder how having that cone disguises it to the fly. I mean, I guess it probably looks like some local flower, but now I just think about a fly looking at two identical mantids, one with cone, one without. "Safe. Not safe." Or maybe the mantis is heading out to work, and its spouse says, "Oh honey! Don't forget your cone!" "Oh, that was a close one, hun'!" I love evolution.
November 13, 2008
Anonymous said...
Aside from the fact that Mantis kung-fu is greater than my own... they are super polite bugs. They always clean themselves with their legs, and their little heads are so cute when the size you up for a showdown.
Sorry. Couldn't help it. Had to dip back in to Igor Siwanowicz's kettle of photos and serve another helping of mantis.
This mantis is posing for the camera, gripping its meal with one be-spiked arm, while coyly touching his mandibles with the other. Don't be shy, little mantid. Go ahead. I know you prefer to start eating your food while it is still alive, so why wait?
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Close this window Jump to comment formWithout a scale reference it's hard to tell that Flybon and Mantisoid are each over 40 stories tall.
The epic battle lasted six hours and leveled half of Tokyo.
November 12, 2008
My second favourites (spiders are first), they are gorgeous!
I watched a huge tyke eat a spider like that once, it was sad for the spider but awesome to watch a mantis in action.
Those are spectacular photos.
November 12, 2008
Why why why did I come to this site after dinner?!?!
November 12, 2008
Consume mass quantities!
November 13, 2008
Anything that takes down the fly population is OK in my book! Go get im!
November 13, 2008
You've got to wonder how having that cone disguises it to the fly. I mean, I guess it probably looks like some local flower, but now I just think about a fly looking at two identical mantids, one with cone, one without. "Safe. Not safe." Or maybe the mantis is heading out to work, and its spouse says, "Oh honey! Don't forget your cone!" "Oh, that was a close one, hun'!" I love evolution.
November 13, 2008
Aside from the fact that Mantis kung-fu is greater than my own... they are super polite bugs. They always clean themselves with their legs, and their little heads are so cute when the size you up for a showdown.
November 13, 2008
that is so cool.
November 14, 2008