A praying mantis

[Jérôme Frenchise]

http://fauneetflore.haplosciences.com/mante3.jpg

I mean, there's nothing incredible here, when I think of rattlesnakes or whatever creatures can beat the south of the USA or the Australian bush...

Anyway, I was having dinner with two of my friends in my flat tonight when we noticed a praying mantis about 3 inches long stuck on a wall. One of them said it was very rare to see some in the Alps, as they rather live in the south of our country.
We took her gently and dropped her on the balcony below mine.
One hour later, she was back. I've just taken her out, for good.

It's amazing how she turned her head (praying mantes are the only insects that can turn their heads, and they can turn them by 180°!). A very curious animal.

As everybody knows, they hold their paws in such a way that you'd think they're praying, AND their fave past time after making love is cutting their partners's heads and devour them entirely.

Just like certain women, in a way... :D

[MAX]

Praying Mantis' are killer insects and one of three that I never squash. lol

They are great for flowerbeds and gardens, keeping out pests.

Yup, I always save them, ladybugs and honeybees if I happen to find one in the house. They get a "get out of jail" pass or a stay of execution cos I'll actually take the time to put them outside as I sing "Born Freeeeeeee..." Anything else gets squirshed in a kleenex or in a shit ticket and flushed down the toilet. Yes, I proudly waste eight gallons of water as I send their tissued and mummified carcusses out to sea. http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/teufel/devil-smiley-029.gif

[MERRYKISSMASS2U]

Originally posted by Jérôme Frenchise
AND their fave past time after making love is cutting their partners's heads and devour them entirely.

Just like certain women, in a way... :D

It reminds me of Xenia Onatopp (Ксеня Онатопп) from 007's Goldeneye

[Tiki-Tom]

Originally posted by MAX


Anything else gets squirshed in a kleenex or in a shit ticket and flushed down the toilet.

ROTMFFL...shit ticket. Classic.

I've got a few mantis' living in my garden. My girl found a baby one on her beer bottle (no kidding) one night while we were toasting the tiki gods on the patio. It is strange to see a little insect turn it's head to look at you from the neck of a Budweiser.

[sadaist]

Last year I bought an egg sack of them from Home Depot's garden center. They eat aphids. Put it in a sturdy bush and a few months later the thing was crawling with hundreds of babies. Very cool. Months after that we found a huge one (one of the babies?) Stuck it in a pickle jar to show the kids and it hardly fit.

[Ally_Kat]

I just ran into one on my stoop the other day. It was the first time in 10 years I've seen one around here. Scooped the little guy in my hands and had a staring contest before I put him back into my mother's hydrangea bushes.

I forget what it was, but there's some supersition about coming across one.

[Jérôme Frenchise]

Originally posted by MAX
Praying Mantis' are killer insects and one of three that I never squash. lol

They are great for flowerbeds and gardens, keeping out pests.
http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/teufel/devil-smiley-029.gif

Mmh. Maybe one the ladies upstairs or downstairs, who grow mere gardens on their balconies (we have 10-meter wide ones) introduced a colony...

It reminds me of an awesome film, "Microcosmos" (Fr), that was released 10 years ago. It was about insects and birds, with amazing sequences like geese filmed from a microlight in their V-shaped flight, or a "huge" grouse picking hundreds of ants fiercely, as the main, tiny camera was set at the level of the ground... impressive!

Not a single word in the movie, so no translation needed of course. And it's a must. :cool:

http://www.reelingreviews.com/microcosmos.jpg

[Jérôme Frenchise]

Originally posted by Ally_Kat
I just ran into one on my stoop the other day. It was the first time in 10 years I've seen one around here. Scooped the little guy in my hands and had a staring contest before I put him back into my mother's hydrangea bushes.

I forget what it was, but there's some supersition about coming across one.

"A staring contest"... :)
There's something startlingly humanlike in the fact they need to turn their heads to have a look at you when you stand on their side.

I read that in Africa, praying mantes are supposed to bring you luck. Well, for what it's worth, I mean I'm not superstitious, but it could as well have been said to be a bad sign.

Before inviting her out, for a while I thought I could keep her and feed her like a pet, but I should have brought her insects myself because none usually ever enters my flat, and I'd have to give her living things because I guess it's not the kind that will be happy with dead corpses - they must have to kill and cut their victims into pieces themselves.
It's odd, because she didn't have a killer's look in her eyes, to think how violent they can get when it comes to eating and fucking... :D

[MAPRamone]

I dig praying mantids though i've never seen one in Finland. I also dig ladybugs and robber flies.

[Jérôme Frenchise]

Originally posted by MAPRamone
I dig praying mantids though i've never seen one in Finland. I also dig ladybugs and robber flies.

Hey, if she comes again I could put her in a box and mail her. :D
You'd have to keep her in a vivarium though, as they dig nothing more than warm, if not hot weather.
BTW, I have to prepare my courses for tomorrow, and I keep checking around if she's back. I think I miss her little head turning at me , and looking at me as if she was going to say something. :D

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by Ally_Kat

I forget what it was, but there's some supersition about coming across one.

It's also a difficult trick to pull off...