# Preying Mantis



## Bettawan (May 23, 2011)

Hi All,

This as to be one of the most amazing creatures that i have come across while living in Thailand. They are not scared of humans, infact they like to be held. Their big eyes and the small black pupil follow your every movement. When you have one on your hand and you put a finger next to it's head it will rear up and start boxing with yer finger..Amazing...They remind so much of the movie ET.














































Evidently after mating, the female eats the male, so I would not like to be reincarnated as a male Prying Mantis..LOL.

Regards
Jeff & Wan


----------



## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

very cool pics. so trusting of them.


----------



## thefishwife (Apr 21, 2010)

Those are neat and it does look like ET! Welcome Jeff.


----------



## LikeItLow (Jan 11, 2011)

My buddy works at shipping conainer repair facility, and there used to be a bunch of those running around the property. i took one home and hadd it for about a week till my cat got it lol.


----------



## Keri (Aug 2, 2010)

Mantis are amazing little bugs, so much personality! Great pics!


----------



## King-eL (Apr 21, 2010)

I used to catch a lot of them evev lil' tiny wingless babies. Theu are very cool indeed.


----------



## Luc (Mar 22, 2011)

Those are VERY cool haha


----------



## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

We used to have them in Louisiana. Some of them can "spray" and irritant as a defense mechanism (similar to a "spitting" Cobra). Very cool indeed!

Stuart


----------



## Victor (Apr 21, 2010)

Bettawan said:


> Evidently after mating, the female eats the male, so I would not like to be reincarnated as a male Prying Mantis..LOL.


Yes, luckily humans don't have the same prenuptial agreement rituals lol

thanks for sharing!


----------



## fish dork (Apr 21, 2010)

I find them in August out here quite often. I had one land on my leg while driving a forklift at work. The truck driver almost screamed, it was awesome!


----------



## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

We had these in our gardens back in the eastern townships just south of Montreal when I was growing up. One of the neat things about them is they turn their heads like puppies when they look at you. Very mellow and extremely interesting beasties.


----------



## target (Apr 21, 2010)

Bettawan said:


> Evidently after mating, the female eats the male, so I would not like to be reincarnated as a male Prying Mantis..LOL.
> 
> Regards
> Jeff & Wan


The female sometimes won't even wait until the end of mating to eat the male. Only the lower abdomen is needed for him to do his thing so she'll eat the rest before he finishes. Hard choice when you are a male mantis. No sex or get eaten


----------

