The Arthropod Series
A bright green and yellow spider spinning webs on the Yellow Bells by the gate caught my eye on Saturday morning. That prompted the attachment of a macro lens to my camera, and a hunt in the fields for colorful spiders. The successful spider expedition set the arthropod theme for the weekend; highlights include close encounters with a Praying Mantis and a huge and hungry dragonfly.
The spiders show up in Part III. The most cooperative subject, the Praying Mantis gets Part I.
The Praying Mantis Knocks
We don’t have many surprise visitors out at Little Piney,
but this Praying Mantis made it to the front door without the gate code.
Can an insect be curious about us? He seemed friendly and engaged.
We visited on the front porch awhile.
He has a great shadow.
The fun really started when Ken came outside.
They shook hands.
He decided to sit and visit for awhile.
He posed for photos.
Played some piano tunes.
Tap danced to “Me and My Shadow”
Ken tried to put him down in a bush
but he didn’t know what to do with himself.
Ken rescued him.
He was very glad to climb back on Ken’s arm.
We had to go inside, but Praying Mantis found a way to keep
track of his new friend, Ken, through the window screen.
Interesting Facts About the Praying Mantis
- The praying mantis uses those long front legs to snatch prey quicker than wink. Those spikes pin the meal in place so it can’t escape.
- The female may eat a male just after mating.
- Hundreds of eggs hatch young that are mini versions of mom and dad.
- Praying mantis are the most common pet insect.
- The commonly held belief that they spit on humans is not true.
Hi Tammy, I enjoyed browsing your blog before I went to sleep last night. I’ve added you to my list of nature blogs on my page at https://www.wildozark.com/nature-blogs/ 🙂
Hi Madison, Thanks for visiting. I’m honored to be added to you list of nature blogs at https://www.wildozark.com/nature-blogs/. I’ve enjoyed visiting the other websites listed and yours.