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2 Unfeasibly Large Pictures Of A Mantis...

Posted: 2006-06-26 03:01pm
by FSTargetDrone
...available here and here.

Image

Image

These were taken in 2004, seconds before the mantis became enraged and flew at my throat, nearly taking my head off. I never saw so much blood...

No, that's a horrible lie. They were taken in 2005.

No, I'm still lying. It really was 2004. And the mantis was quite serene. It's quite fascinating watching its head and "pupils" track around. I've picked up smaller mantises in the past, to study them up close. However, this fine fellow measured about 6-8 inches long, and I'm too gutless to mess with something that large. :)

We see them every year around here. Once, one of them was sitting on the front door, and it involved some creative and extremely slow movement to get the door open and back inside, so I could retrieve a broom and let the thing crawl onto the bristles. I then deposit them out back in the field, over the fence. Aside from that one time when the mantis wrenched the broom from my grasp and knocked me unconscious...

Usually they are on the back porch. They are typicall bright green all over when I've seen them, but sometimes brown. I suppose that has something to do with molting or whatnot.

Posted: 2006-06-26 04:34pm
by Lt. Dan
That first one is a mighty fine photo. We see some over in the desert every now and then but I haven't seen one 6-8 inches, maybe in the mountains...

Posted: 2006-06-26 04:36pm
by FSTargetDrone
Lt. Dan wrote:That first one is a mighty fine photo. We see some over in the desert every now and then but I haven't seen one 6-8 inches, maybe in the mountains...
Thank you. My complaint with the first photo is that it's a bit washed out with the flash!

Posted: 2006-06-26 04:48pm
by Lt. Dan
I like it because the mantis is front and center with out being too small in the shot. And because there are somethings in the pic that we do not have in the desert. Green and water. :wink:

Anyhoo, glad to see you made it out alive, just watch your back, those things climb up walls and shit like that... God damn ninja bugs....

Posted: 2006-06-26 06:36pm
by Superman
That's what I need for the offending centipedes, spiders, moths, etc! Damn, get me one!

I doubt many centipedes would stand a chance against a big ass Praying Mantis like that.

Posted: 2006-06-26 06:38pm
by Manus Celer Dei
I'm using that first one as a wallpaper now :)

Posted: 2006-06-26 06:53pm
by Kuja
These were taken in 2004, seconds before the mantis became enraged and flew at my throat, nearly taking my head off. I never saw so much blood...
Must've been horny, female mantises have been known to do that to their mates. :lol:

Posted: 2006-06-26 08:13pm
by FSTargetDrone
Manus Celer Dei wrote:I'm using that first one as a wallpaper now :)
Enjoy!