All growed up

[zonbonzovi]

Hierudola sp., frontin'

Youse wants summa dis?

Ghosty(Phyllocrania paradoxa)

 

[Galapoheros]

HA!, awesome pics!

 

[groovyspider]

very nat they look like dead leaves? iam guess defense mechanisms?

 

[Travis K]

WOW John,

Those are some nice pics and great mantis'.

 

[aluras]

Wow, Those are some nice pics. Did you have them since they were smaller? Do they live for a while? either way great photos.

 

[H. laoticus]

In the first pic, the mantis is flexing

 

[zonbonzovi]

Thanks, y'all- these were raised by my wife from young nymphs. We should be doing some mating soon(the mantids, not us). The leafiness of the legs/wings is for camouflage. Mantids live typically from 8 months to 2 years.

 

[zonbonzovi]

A couple more:

I forget the binomial...brain is scattered today

 

[Mamisha-X]

doesnt it hurt when they grab u with those sharp arm thingys? I was hurt by a mantis when i was little (found it in the garden) so I quickly lost intrest haha

 

[recluse]

Nice mantids.

 

[zonbonzovi]

doesnt it hurt when they grab u with those sharp arm thingys? I was hurt by a mantis when i was little (found it in the garden) so I quickly lost intrest haha

Nah, you get used to it when doing maintenance. After being needled by Lethocerus & bitten by fire ants this summer, I tend not to notice much anymore

 

[Bugs In Cyberspace]

The lighting was just perfect in that last set. How long did you and the mantis have to stay out in the sun to get it just right? :}

 

[zonbonzovi]

Bugs, morning light is my best friend! If I can drag my body out of bed it is the best time to shoot, esp. before clouds start moving about...afternoon light is so uneven from moment to moment.

 

[bioshock]

Pictures gave me a nice laugh today haha!! Always thought about keeping one or two mantids maybe a ghost mantid or one of those dead leaf looking ones.