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Praying Mantis


Praying Mantis
Photo Information
Copyright: Francisco Sales (FranciscoSales) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 116 W: 0 N: 103] (783)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-02-19
Categories: Insects
Camera: Nikon Coolpix 5600
Exposure: f/5.4, 1/60 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Mimicry [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-02-23 21:16
Viewed: 8701
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 48
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [Portuguese]
Praying Mantise
Praying mantises, or praying mantids, are carnivorous insects. There are about 2,000 different types of mantids. The biggest are over 15 cm long and the smallest are about 1 cm long.Mantids are found in warm to hot places in most continents of the world. It gets its name from the way it holds its front forelegs up as though it is praying.

DEFENCE:
Mantids depend on camouflage for their survival. There are many predators, including birds, that they must hide from. Most kinds of mantid have a hollow space inside their bodies, which helps them hear the high-pitched sounds that bats, one of their main predators, make.

FOOD:
The mantid stays motionless on a leaf or stem, well camouflaged as it waits for prey. It grabs the prey with its strong front legs, bites the head off and eats its prey. Mantids eat beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, crickets, small vertebrates such as tree frogs, lizards and mice. They also eat other mantids!

BODY:
The front legs have rows of sharp spines which are used to grip prey. Mantids have a triangular shaped head with a large eye on each side that can see the slightest movement up to 35m away. It is the only insect that can turn its head 180º. It has excellent hearing. Mantids have straight leathery wings and powerful jaws.

PEST?
Although some people think praying mantises are pests, they do actually keep down the number of other insects in the garden or farm, often the ones that do harm to plants and crops.

*Espero que todos gostem!!!

Francisco Sales
liquidsunshine, odin, Luc, loot, Janice, hummingbird24, jmp, saguzar, vihang8846, cicindela has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Wow that is the epitome of camouflage, nature's protection. The color and detail are wonderful. Well done.

  • Great 
  • odin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 196 W: 1 N: 213] (1143)
  • [2006-02-23 22:13]

You manage very this little coolpix Francisco, This shot is very clear and sharp, and the colors are perfects. The only problem with the picture is the composition, the praying mantis is not in well prensentation. Maybee a other time. WEll done
Sébastien

Hi Francisco,
Awesome shot! That praying mantis really blends in with its surroundings and looks so much like a leaf. Fabulous macro with excellent details and POV. Lovely natural colours. Well captured!
Claudia

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3100 W: 234 N: 5929] (20008)
  • [2006-02-24 0:44]

Amazing creature, Francisco. A very sharp image of this master of mimicry. TFS. : )

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5747 W: 606 N: 3503] (9405)
  • [2006-02-24 1:41]
  • [2]

Hi Fransisco
Wow, camouflage at its best. The thumbnail (and the photo) had me tricked for a while. My mind kept telling me that it must be just a real leaf that's only setup to make it look like a mantis. Eventually It dawned on me as I figured it out, that it is really a mantis setup to look like a leaf. Ain't no birdie that’s going to have this one for lunch.
Very well spotted and captured. Just a slight pity you amputated its leg. The DOF & BG is good, colours well saturated, and details are nice and sharp.
Very well done and TFS.
Regards
Loot

Interesting post what amazing camouflage it has thanks for sharing

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3464 W: 145 N: 5942] (17790)
  • [2006-02-24 3:17]

WOW! What a strange one this is Francisco. He would be very hard to find, so you were lucky to see him here. Excellent capture, sorry you cut his foot off though. But I think its camouflage is quite amazing. I wonder, do they change their colours to suit the trees they are on?
Well shown, TFS
Janice

What hiding skills nature's creatures develop in the mega drama of survival!
Great shot, Francisco. I would have thought it to be a leaf, but for your wonderful note.

Hi Francisco,

Unbeliavable camouflage, beautifully photographed.

I will keep following you:))

  • Great 
  • chiliu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1552 W: 0 N: 1169] (6448)
  • [2006-02-24 13:46]

Hi Francisco,
Excellent capture of this interesting insect,
perfect exposure and good lighting,
great details and nicely composed.
Thanks for sharing!

Wow! Great close-up shot of such a unique creature. The colors and texture are shown well here. Very nice photograph.

Very unique and odd looking mantid Francisco.
Very good details and sharpness. Thank you.

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1836 W: 94 N: 2340] (8406)
  • [2006-03-05 16:50]

Hola Francisco,
He mirado varias veces la foto, por si se trataba de una broma y era una obra de papiroflexia hecha con hojas.
Tan insólito animal merece una foto como la que has hecho, con el máximo detalle, nitidez y su correspondiente hoja.
Muchas gracias por mostrarnos esta excepcional criatura.
José Miguel

Well captured Francisco,
Good detail, colours and sharpness.
Composition and exposure are good. Good POV and DOF.
Thanks for posting, have a great week.

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1422 W: 127 N: 5219] (23113)
  • [2006-03-07 20:14]

Incredible capture, so sharp and well exposed. A true beaty. Thanks for the good note too.

Mario

  • Great 
  • Aramok Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 927 W: 103 N: 1420] (4885)
  • [2006-03-09 12:14]

What a fantastic imitation of a dead leaf! It looks just like origami!

Stunning.

Agora que percebi que é um bicho folha, tempos atrás fotografei um deste, mas não era tão estranho assim...
parabéns!!! ótima captura.

  • Great 
  • RII Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 486 W: 0 N: 887] (2804)
  • [2006-03-16 13:18]

Hola Francisco.
Pero que interesante inusual y rara especie, hiciste una gran secuencia de fotos, ilustrativa y didactica asi cmo educativa de esta fantastica especie, la foto es excellente tanto en color y detalles,fantastica foto.

Saludos desde MEXICO....RICARDO.

Olá Francisco,
Hermosa y singular mantis, parece una hoja.Me gustan los detalles y la pose.
Saludos
Hernán

  • Great 
  • Artur Silver Star Critiquer [C: 43 W: 0 N: 8] (1102)
  • [2006-10-29 11:44]

Hi Francisco
a spectacular capture of Acanthops falcataria, a deadleaf-mimicking mantis from C and S America
Art

wow!!
awesome snap!!
an excellent example of mimicry!!
see hoe nature has taken care of each and every living being on this earth.
anyway
technically a very good snap
excellent sharpness and compostion
regards
vihang

What a fantastic imitation of a dead leaf! It looks just like origami!

Hi Francisco!
Amazing mantid species! Its camouflage is perfectly visible in this photo! I have never seen species like this one. Very nice colouration, DOF and details of main object. Bravo also for the informative note.
Best withes from Poland,
Radomir

Hola Francisco,

Que barbaro, pero si parece una hoja seca y retorcida, si no fuera por las patas.
Un cavalinho ven bonito.

Saludos.
Jose Luis.

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