Yesterday, while smoking a turkey breast (in the smoker, not a joint) I pulled up the cucumber vines. On the vine was a brown mantis-so I carried her over to the vines on the fence so she could continue to hunt. This morning I did a little googling. I have friends who collect and raise mantids and other insects, so I was curious.
OMIGOD-they have some big old jaws don't they? What I find hilarious is that as a child I was afraid of grasshoppers, but not mantis. It just goes to show that judgement based on shape isn't a very good measure of safety or lack thereof. Actually, I think it was more the movement-grasshoppers flop around and mantis usually don't. Apparently, with those big old jaws, they don't have to.
I guess this post is just my way of saying "I'm here this morning, and how are you?"
7 comments:
Well, what a handsome bug. I love to find them in our garden. I know they are busy eating the unwanted bugs.
I am just fine. How are you today?
ugly yet so beautiful. have opened an etsy shop,,,cool or maybe crazy??
Good morning Debs - love the mantis photo. When we were kids there was a mantis on the porch at Grandma's house and we were told that it was illegal to kill or harass them. So we stayed off the porch all day (we did sneak up to spy on him) and waited for him to leave. I wonder now what we thought? Did we think that the bug police would show up if we harassed this chompy animal?
I'm not afraid of them per se, but not fond of them either and would easily give a ladylike shreek if I saw one.
Wow, what a shot!
I've had them on me and every time I finally notice one is sitting on my shoulder or wherever, I DO give a shriek. I can't help it! They're just eyeballing you and sneaking up on you. Dang.
funny, i wasn't afraid of them when i was a kid either. i don't know about now.
you and lolo are big scardy cats.
:)
I'm not a scaredy cat-I carried the lady over to a new set of vines-I didn't get scared till I googled them and saw that scary photo!
What a great mantid shot! I can't find any here in south Florida...I keep trying!!!
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