Praying Mantis at work
Aug 9, 2012 06:11:17 #
Aug 9, 2012 06:15:44 #
Aug 10, 2012 07:20:01 #
I believe these are called stick bugs. I do not know the scientific name for them. Here is the web site. Tom http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/stick-insect/
Aug 10, 2012 07:36:50 #
This is definitely a praying mantis. Mantids are predaceous and have raptorial front legs to capture their prey whereas walking sticks feed on vegetation and their legs are adapted for walking. Blueduck is right though, this is one of the skinniest mantids I've ever seen. Maybe they're thinner in Australia.
Aug 10, 2012 14:44:52 #
We always called these Walking Sticks. They have a different body than a Mantis but everything else looks similar.
Aug 10, 2012 14:48:22 #
Aug 10, 2012 19:31:37 #
I haven't seen the Walking Stick catch anything but have seen the mantis catch a bee and eat it. A very quick creature. And ugly.
Aug 10, 2012 19:38:05 #
This Mantis parked himself on top of a flower, waiting on a bee to land. The bee landed and was captured before he knew what happened. One time last summer a Mantis sat underneath a hummingbird feeder where the the nectar was dripping. This drew the bees to the sweet nectar to their demise. The Mantis was covered with the red liquid nectar. A gruesome sight......
Bee for Lunch.
You can see the difference in the bodies of the Mantis and Walking Stick in this photo.
Aug 10, 2012 19:53:55 #
Had one show up at my office last year. It spent a good 2 hours walking around my desk, grooming itself. It didn't want to leave so I took him home, but the admiral didn't want him in the house. I put him out on the front porch flower pot & he hung around for a week or so.
Mantis
Mantis
Mantis
Aug 10, 2012 22:04:28 #
They are fascinating to watch. The grandkids love letting them crawl on them.
Aug 17, 2012 16:07:27 #
BobinNC
Loc: Fayetteville,NC
Late response, I believe the first pictures were of a young Mantis, that why so skinny. Excellent pictures.
Aug 17, 2012 16:44:14 #
bulldog wrote:
On my truck
This is a stick bug, praying mantis have wings. This bug has none
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