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I have always found the Praying Mantis to be
a very interesting insect. They resemble a Tyrannosaurs Rex in
miniature, while its two huge eyes remind me of a space alien. The front
legs look like lethal weapons and for other insects that is exactly what
they are.
Check out the link to see a Mantis catching a hummingbird. http://www.neatorama.com/2009/09/09/praying-mantis-catches-a-hummingbird/. I have seen a Mantis on my hummingbird feeder, but I thought he was catching ants.
They have their name because when they hold
their front legs together they look like they are praying. The Mantis
actually has five eyes, two large ones and three small ones in the middle.
When my children were growing up we ordered
a Praying Mantis Sac. It was still cold outside so we put it on a plant
in the Family Room. The babies hatched a week later and we had little
Praying Mantis's all over the house. It took a great deal of patience and
gentle handling to get them outside.
If you have ever picked one up you know that
they have a good bite. The information on the Praying Mantis says that the
female
will eat the male after courting. They are a good friend to have in your garden because their
regular diet is insects. The official information says they do not
change colors, but I have seen some that sure look like they have changed colors to match their environment.
Maybe it is just the reflection from the color of the plant.
For more information: http://insected.arizona.edu/mantidinfo.htm
If you are interested in the red plant the
Praying Mantis is posing on, it is Love-Lies-Blooming. The seed packet said it
would grow to three to five feet. These plants really out did themselves.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/
factsheets/annuals/loveliesbleeding.htm
Linda Gast |
