Sunday, May 4, 2008

Camera Critters: Peeping Mantis


Siren woke up one morning to find this guy hanging on to his window screen. Thankfully he was outside or this little creature would not have stood a chance. Siren pounding on the screen and yowling brought me running.

I wish I could have gotten some shots from inside but I was more concerned about his safety. I closed the window. By the time I came back with the camera he had moved away from Siren’s stare.

I had to take the photos from outside where the windows are a lot harder to get close to.

The first photo shows how he moved a little bit up and away from the window – and Siren.

I hope the other 2 shots show how really pretty he was. - click to enlarge













Go to Misty’s Place to see more camera critters.

If you’re interested in knowing more about Siren’s window clinging buddy check it out Here.

41 comments:

CG said...

He's spectacular!!

ratmammy said...

What a smart thing Siren is!! And so cute! The praying mantis? not so much... still, good photo!

Misty DawnS said...

Last year, Hubs brought in this really cool caterpillar he had found outside. A little while later, he comes in with a Praying Mantis. He put it in a container with the caterpillar so I could take them both outside and take photos of them. The Praying Mantis ATE the caterpillar! How rude hehehehe

I got some cool shots of the - overly full - praying mantis though. Aren't they really neat critters?

You got some good shots here! Good thing Siren didn't get it ;-)

Dianne said...

cg - I am fascinated by spiders and mantis and all kinds of insects and I go out of my way not to hurt them. I have a huge spider currently residing in the shower window. I keep moving her to the bush under the window but she keeps coming back :)

ratamammy - I shudder to think what Siren would have done. thanks for stopping by

Misty - they call the praying mantis the pest controller of the insect world. I didn't know that until I looked it up on the link I posted. I would have freaked out at the nature show you were given.

i beati said...

I love them and haven't seen them in ages

Michele said...

I think they are incrdedible. They are fantastic bugs and you got some great shots!

Ramblings of a Villas Girl said...

Hi Dianne! Beautiful pictures. Glad Siren didn't get him. A couple of summers ago, I had one on my back deck. He stayed around for several hours. It was pretty interesting watching him. Lisa

fermicat said...

I love bug shots! Nice work.

Dianne said...

i beati - I see at least one each summer, they're beautiful to me.

thanks michelle :)

lisa - he's usually hanging out in the big shrub - I'm careful watering, I start with a fine mist and he comes to the top and then I water around him :)

fermicat - thanks!! I'm hoping to get some good spider shots soon.

bcmomtoo said...

I think I would have freaked out seeing that unexpectedly on my screen, but then I would have been fascinated by it. It's really very pretty - and on the outside of the screen quite harmless.

Jay said...

When we were little my sister had to do a science experiment for school and it involved collecting insects and pinning them to a Styrofoam board where she would name them and write something interesting about them.

A door-to-door salesman came to our door one day and my sister and I immediately noticed a Praying Mantis on his pants leg. We asked if we could have it and he looked down and laughed and said yes and he took the thing off his pants. My mother then mentioned the science experiment and the man got all upset. He refused to let us have the thing if we were going to kill it. He left and took the praying mantis with him to release in a place it would be safe.

I still remember the look on that man's face. So funny.

Lilli & Nevada said...

We had one of those here last yr, kind of freaky looking but i guess they have a good purpose nice shot

KG said...

Last year, there was some freaky insect in my house after hubby and I went hiking. It was long and segmented, and had these weird "c" shaped curved appendages on the end like a pincer. It grossed me out.

Not sure why these pictures of this praying mantis reminded me of that. But anyway. Fun facts for your Sunday evening.

tt said...

Yucko! Praying Mantis and grandaddy Longlegs are 2 things from my childhood that I still can't stand. They've always creeped me out.Seriously.
I appreciate their contribution to nature in the grand scheme of things but that's it. :) Bet Siren would have had a good workout if his window buddy had come inside! I watched out Tabby chase a grasshopper around the yard one day...he was pouncing from one place to another and then all of a sudden he stopped. I walked over to see what was going on and got there just as he chomped down on the last leg!!!! Ewwwwwwwwwwie!!!!
I'm glad I don't eat what I play with ;)

Dianne said...

anna - I had one crawl across my arm once, the one who lives in our giant shrubs - he was quite gentle and looked very confused ;)
thanks for coming by

jay - my son had to do a report like that and refused to kill the insects - my boy :)
so I went with him to school with all his props in little jars, alive!! teacher didn't like me but the kids did

lilli & nevada - they remind me of tiny dinosaurs. glad you liked the shots :)

law student - that was a fun fact. wonder what the creature was. I would have been tripping over myself to get the camera and keep the cats at bay.

tt- "I'm glad I don't eat what I play with" - LOL
my guys stay inside so most of their toys are stuffed.

Raven said...

They are fascinating creatures. Glad he escaped Siren and that you were able to get such cool photos.

I don't know why I think this, but I believe at one time at least, that praying mantises (Mantisi?) were on the endangered list and that it was illegal to kill them. I could be making that up, but it's stuck here in my head, so I'm going to put it out there.

Katney said...

We used to keep one of these guys as a pet in my first grade classroom. The kids caught grasshoppers with a butterfly net at recess to feed him.

kenju said...

I love seeing mantises! I put up a photo of one several years ago after I discovered a baby mantis in my ivy.

david mcmahon said...

Pray, tell!!!

the walking man said...

Detroit be so bad even the critters don't come here any more! I'd forgotten about these creatures until we relocated to VA for a half year.

What was obvious to me there, was that daddy long leg spiders were not prey for a mantis, I think the proliferation of both of them where we were was testament to which species rested atop that food chain.

Mantis vs. Long Legs...the movie

Peace Dianne good week to ya'

mark

Diane Mandy said...

Seeing the praying mntis reminds we of two that my 6th grade class had as mascots. By summer, they ended up producing baby praying mantises!

Odat said...

Great shot....those critters are great for your garden...they eat all the bad bugs...my hub used to go out in the early spring to find there egg sac and move it closer to our vegetable garden so all the lil manti? lol, would be in the right place.
Peace

bobbie said...

I love creepy crawlies - well, most of them. I do love the mantis. Always wonder how they survive. They look so fragile.

Dianne said...

raven - my neighbor (who claims to know everything!) told me the same thing. He saw me making sure to water around my mantis buddy and laughed at me "obeying the law" - of course I don't need a law to look out for tiny creatures :)

katney - thanks for stopping by :)

kenju - I've never seen a baby one, I'd love too.

LOL David

Good week to you too Mark

diane m - it would be so cool to see the babies.

odat - lil manti - I like that :)

bobbie - they do look so fragile, that's why I'm so glad I got there to close the window, Siren was really pawing at the screen and the little guy looked frozen.

Raven said...

After I posted that I went and googled - how did I survive before google? - anyway, though, it's not true that they are endangered or that it's against the law to kill them, though the rumor has been around since the 1950s which is I think when I learned it.

Hilary said...

Great shots.. and I love the title "Peeping Mantis." Well done!

Dianne said...

raven - I don't think I'm going to tell my neighbor LOL - not that he ever thinks he's mistaken anyway. It will hopefully just keep him from killing them.

hilary - thanks, I made myself chuckle with 'peeping mantis'

Mom Knows Everything said...

That is so cool! We don't have those in New Brunswick. Thank you for wishing me a Happy Blogoversary! That was very sweet of you. :o)

Dianne said...

You're welcome tammy :)
I was just in New Brunswick Friday night, of course it was New Brunswick, NJ LOL
something tells me your New Brunswick is much prettier.

bundle-o-contradictions said...

Yeah, those guys are pretty freaky. I made an interesting spectacle to people inside @ work when I was sitting outside for lunch & realized a mantis was sitting on my foot. I looked pretty amusing, I'm sure.

Jo said...

Mantises--Mantisus--Mantisi..WTF, I don't the plural!...anyhoo, they're so cool & creepy to me. They look like they're from outer space.

I like the part where the female bites off the male's head post-coitus...and he knows it's coming, but does the nasty anyway LOL!

Linda Murphy said...

This is one bug I am not too afraid of, doesn't look as creepy as most, just interesting.

Hello to Siren and Mia!

OneDaisy said...

I would have totally freaked out seeing something like that on my window. But how cool is that?

Dianne said...

bundle o - that's how I am about bees :) I do the crazy dance and jerk my head around. I have this weird fear of bees living in my hair.

jo - I've been saying mantii :)
and I too love the outer space look they have.

snoopmurph - Mi and Si send hugs!! they're very annoyed with me because I still haven't put their new slideshow together - they don't understand how hard I have to work to feed them :)

onedaisy - it was very cool! I really wish I could have gotten some photos from inside but Siren had other plans.

Unknown said...

Morning, Dianne: I love that name! SIREN!! Just the coolest. As I've blogged, my last pet was a Cat I had to put down. I've been considering adopting one but will wait until my Mom's visit is past. lol, Dianne!!!!:D

Shelly said...

What are the odds? I posted about bugs today too, your bug is much cuter than my bug ;)

Natalie said...

Love the critters that pop up on this blog. He's gorgeous!

Farmer*swife a/k/a Glass_Half_Full said...

jay's too funny!

You have to be careful with these prayfull little guys. They bite!

Once when I was a little girl I picked one up (it had made it in the house) and I was approaching my mom to show her and the little guy(actually, he was a pretty big guy) "bit" me!!!

It hurt like the dickens and he wouldn't let go! I, of course, began screamin' like "a little girl" and shanking my hand reverently....he finally flew off across the room and hit the wall....I didn't go looking for him...I was afraid.

Now? I tell my kids, "Look...but, don't touch."

(Believe it or not? I once had the same situation with a small mouse).

Dianne said...

michael - Siren knows he's cool LOL
I bet you're really looking forward to Mom's visit.

shelly - your bug was very cute :)

thanks 'Aunt' Magnetbabe! - we love all our critters around here.

farmer's wife - "look and don't touch" is one of a Mom's best lines! I had a mouse bite me once too. I also had a rat chase me into a closet. And then of course there's the story of the pigeon and the revolving door.
I adore Jay.

Bobkat said...

How cool is that Mantis? You are right it is so pretty. My cat used to eat insects adn it made me feel quite queasy. He used to catch flys and spiders in particular. Yuk! I thought about writing to the pet food makers and asking why they didn't do bug flavoured cat food! LOL!

Thans for sharing the pics :)

Dianne said...

thanks bobkat - I really like the mantis. I've been looking for him in the shrubs :)
my cats just stare at bugs and then freak out and run around like crazy. so far I've always been able to save them, the bugs, since the cats makes such a racket.