Mantis with TINY eyes at the gas station

Posted on by Prior...

Last Summer, we were filling up the gas tank at a gas station (after meeting the cat lady) and looked down to see this mantis with tiny little eyes looking right at us.

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Linked to weekly photo challenge for TINY.

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praying preying mantis….

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If you would you like more info about mantises, check out Master Gardener Bill Devlin’s “Praying or Preying Mantis?” article here and here is a snippet:

“I found that the adjectives Praying or Preying is more than a play on words. Their reproductive habits are fascinating, not terribly unlike the Black Widow Spider.  The insect order Mantodea or mantises consists of approximatively 2,300 species worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats, of which a majority are in the family Mantidae. Often mistakenly spelled preying mantis (an eggcorn, since they are notoriously predatory), they are in fact named for the typical “prayer-like” stance. The word mantis derives from the Greek word mantis for prophet or fortune teller. In Europe, the name “praying mantis” refers to only a single species, Mantis religiosa.”

 

Hope you have a great day!

 

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23 thoughts on “Mantis with TINY eyes at the gas station”

    1. Hey you are so right- just realized that- the ones I usually see are all green too – maybe this one had extra color because she just ate her partner’s head (gross- by still find it odd that they do that!)

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    1. Wow! You are quite the nature lover for sure – my son was pecked by one – abruptly and it hurt- and so I give them plenty of space ever since that year- sometimes have them newer our mailbox – and I am glad they are around – even tho they are in the same family as cockroaches and termites – well make that the same Superorder Dictyoptera

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      1. My admiration of them waned a bit when I found out that the very large ones can take out a hummingbird. 😦
        I have a special place in my heart for the hummers that visit our yard.

        Liked by 1 person

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