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Praying Mantis


Praying Mantis
Photo Information
Copyright: Ron Warner (tuslaw) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 504 W: 20 N: 1385] (4841)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-10-09
Categories: Insects
Exposure: f/20.0
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-10-09 19:27
Viewed: 578
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I found this Praying Mantis climbing our Holly Bushes this evening. I noticed that it's abdomen was pretty thin so I figured it is either a male or a female that has already laid it's eggs.

The eggs are deposited in a cocoon like structure called a (ootheca) The egg sack to me looks like a hardened mass of cream colored foam. They are usually attached to twigs or even the stems of some weeds. The eggs sac is left to endure the winter weather and in the late spring hundreds of tiny mantis hatch out.

I know this first hand because when I was a kid I would collect the cocoons and take them home. I particularly remember one year when I found about a half dozen of them and decided to keep them in the furnace room of our house for the winter.

One spring morning I was awakened by my mom screaming to the top of her lungs RONNIE LYNN WARNER WHAT THE :*#$&&@@%**%^ Mom was standing at the doorway with a horrified look on her face as hundreds of tiny praying mantis were climbing the wall. It was all I could do to keep her from using a broom on them. I did manage to save quite a few before she used a can of Raid on them. Take my word for it, don't ever try this at home!

I did a lot of crazy things as a kid and this is one that I'll never forget!!!
jaycee, tkp1165, rcrick, jpdenk, CatherineD, eqshannon, Adanac, ubc64 has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To jaycee: Praying Mantistuslaw 1 10-09 19:41
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2008-10-09 19:35]
  • [+]

Hi Ron,

A stunning shot of this Mantis in a beautiful pose on the Holly bush. What a ham he is as he smiles for the camera. Perfect colors and details - I always love the shape of their faces. The position of his "arms" and "legs" are fantastic. A magnificent presentation and composition. I can just imagine what you put your mother through.

Jane

Hi Ron
What a great close up of this Praying Mantis. Excellent sharpness and detail.The saturated colors are incredible. Very Well Done,Ron
TFS
Tom

  • Great 
  • rcrick Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 713 W: 36 N: 1554] (5001)
  • [2008-10-09 21:25]

Hi Ron,

Great shot of this praying mantis, stunning colours, and excellent detail;

I had to chuckle at your note, I to surprised my Mum one day as a kid only it was mice! and quite a few at that, they tend to bread like rabbits, pretty much the same result in the end but she called in the pest control and well the rest is history, the things we do, :)

Cheers Rick ...

Excellent Ron.What a capture and the colors are neatly and nicely comeout against the BG.

TFs

Hello Ron,

Excellent sharp picture of this mantis. Beautiful composition. Superb detail. Great vivid colours.
Cheers,
Mariki

Hi Ron

Excellent shot, the defination of the mantis is perfect. The pose and the DOF makes for a great compostion.

Thanks
Kris

Hi Ron,

Excellent shot of the Mantis, and a great background plant too. While I never brought Mantis egg cases into the house, I bought some one year for my garden for pest insect control, wasn't prepared for the huge numbers of baby Mantis, I was very impressed, as were the neighbors later in the year when we had big ones everywhere.

John

Hi Ron,
The colours of this mantis are really nice and the expression of its face very well captured. The presentation with the background is very good and sharp. Congratulations,
Catherine

Because of colors and contrasts, along with just plain sharp...this is one of the, if not the, best I have seen of this little creature on TN...You hit this one dead center!
Bob

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 1 N: 5208] (17609)
  • [2008-10-10 18:18]

Hello Ron,
Amazing capture Ron with fantastic details and composition. I always feel the should star insome science fiction movie. Thanks for sharing Sir.
Rick

  • Great 
  • ubc64 Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 31 W: 3 N: 86] (292)
  • [2008-10-16 8:12]

Hi Ron,

Fantastic shot of that mantis! It is so striking, that it could be a cover for a book on insects. Although, the Praying Mantis is quite a special insect indeed. I guess I don't go where they go, or I'm not very observant, because I've only seen two of them in my life.

I found your story about when you were young very amusing. It reminded me of Gerald Durrell's book entitled, "My Family and Other Animals." I'm sure you read it, probably many years ago. Remember the scene with the baby scorpions? Maybe, you need to write a book, Ron!

John

National Geographic, eat your heart out! What an amazing shot of this mantis. By the looks of it I'm guessing it's a male mantis, because females usually have larger bellies, no matter whether they are full of eggs, or full of their mates! Which goes to prove, "The female of the species is deadlier than the male." (Rudyard Kipling)

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