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Dusty dragon
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Hi everybody
I was absent for many times, that becuase i move to canada for studing. Now I Live in kingston.
I saw this small dragon that is the same color az ground. It was intresting. Hope every body like it:
The order Mantodea (which includes the Praying mantis) consists of approximatively 2,300 species, of which a majority are in the family Mantidae. The closest relatives of mantids are the orders Isoptera (termites) and Blattaria (cockroaches), and these three groups together are sometimes ranked as an order rather than a superorder.
Mantids are notable for their large size and nimble reflexes. Their diet usually consists of living insects, including flies and aphids; larger species have been known to prey on small lizards, frogs, birds, snakes, and even rodents. Most mantids are ambush predators, waiting for prey to stray too near to them. The mantis then lashes out at remarkable speed. Some ground and bark species, however, pursue their prey rather quickly. A mantid's prey is caught and held securely with its grasping, spiked forelegs.
Mantids are masters of camouflage and make use of protective coloration to blend in with the foliage, both to avoid predators themselves, and to better snare their victims. Some species in Africa and Australia are able to turn black after a molt following a fire in the region to blend in with the fire ravaged landscape (fire melanism). In addition to this adaptation, they have adapted to not only blend with the foliage, but to mimic it, appearing as leaves, sticks, blades of grass, flowers or even stones. Their diet and coloration frequently change as the mantid grows; mantids are among the hemimetabolic insects - those whose immature stages are similar to the adults, primarily differing in the lack of wings and functional reproductive organs.
Human perceptions
On a human hand
Absolutely harmlessMany gardeners consider mantids to be desirable insects, as they prey upon many harmful insect species. Organic gardeners who avoid pesticides may encourage mantids as a form of biological pest control. Mantis egg cases are sold in some garden stores for this purpose.
It should be noted that mantids prey on neutral and beneficial insects as well, basically eating anything they can successfully capture and devour. Although mantid diet primarily consists of small invertebrates, large mantids have been observed eating small vertebrates such as lizards, mice, snakes, and small birds such as hummingbirds.[1] The naturalist Gerald Durrell's autobiography My Family and Other Animals includes an account of a very evenly matched battle between a mantid and a gecko. |
glazzaro, elefantino, vanderschelden, jeanpaul, aido has marked this note useful
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Nice work, good detail, both antennae are are sharp, most miss that. Well executed Macro.
Greg
Amazing close up, Babak!!
really detailed and sharp.
Good note, too.
Andrea
(pts later)
Beautiful image with great depth of field through which the focus is on the mantid.
Well done, Babak.
TFS
Annick
Bonsoir Babak
Voici une autre image de toute beauté j'aime ta présentation ainsi que la note qui l'accompagne. Photographie riche en couleurs et en netteté,
Merci du partage et au revoir...JP
this and my favourite insect besides symbolizing respect and a majestical being perfect capture in micron and perfect rocking of colors and clearness congratulations
- aido
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1095 W: 169 N: 1218]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(4046) - [2007-03-27 22:14]
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Hi Babak,
Good macro shot. I really like the POV that allows the BG to be out of focus, it adds a lot of depth. Great detail and exposure and nicely framed/composed too, nice work.
Cheers,
Adrian
Thsi is a very interesting macro, with the perceivable contrast in a camouflage habita. Congradulations my friend
Ümit KEBAPÇI
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 201 W: 45 N: 223]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-s-g.gif){kind=small}
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 101 W: 3 N: 94]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
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