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frogmarch

(12,153 posts) Wed Jun 17, 2015, 06:03 PM Jun 2015

Squee! Baby mantis!

My daughter-in-law Connie found some baby mantises in her garden plot the other day. In the picture, there’s one on her finger. Can you see it?

Mantis hatchlings will eat each other if they hatch in a jar, where they can’t run away from each other. I read that in a gardening magazine years ago.

28 replies

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Highlight:

Squee! Baby mantis! (Original Post) frogmarch Jun 2015 OP

OMG tiiiiiny shenmue Jun 2015 #1

It sure is! frogmarch Jun 2015 #2

Oh that is nice! MuseRider Jun 2015 #3

Ooh so cute! Dont call me Shirley Jun 2015 #4

about that jar... Ned Flanders Jun 2015 #5

Wow! frogmarch Jun 2015 #7

We found several in our garden a couple weeks ago. Le Taz Hot Jun 2015 #6

But if you let them grow unchecked . . . tclambert Jun 2015 #8

Quick! Get a jar! A very BIG jar! frogmarch Jun 2015 #9

"Don't Worry -- {Monster Island is} just a name!" eppur_se_muova Jun 2015 #16

haha! frogmarch Jun 2015 #17

... Spitfire of ATJ Jun 2015 #22

The Deadly Mantis - 1957 aint_no_life_nowhere Jun 2015 #26

Mantises are one of the few insects that do not go through metamorphosis DamnYankeeInHouston Jun 2015 #10

Thanks! I didn't know that. frogmarch Jun 2015 #11

Aha! I found this. frogmarch Jun 2015 #12

They are the only insect that can turn its head. DamnYankeeInHouston Jun 2015 #13

omg, they do turn their heads, don't they? frogmarch Jun 2015 #14

Oh! It's a baby! Solly Mack Jun 2015 #15

You know they hunt in packs, don't you? JustABozoOnThisBus Jun 2015 #18

Then, of course, there is the most famous mantis of them all rocktivity Jun 2015 #19

Squee! frogmarch Jun 2015 #20

The one I found was about the size of a quarter. Spitfire of ATJ Jun 2015 #21

I wonder how fast they grow. frogmarch Jun 2015 #23

I recently saw a pic (I won't post) of one big enough to catch a hummingbird. Spitfire of ATJ Jun 2015 #24

Eek! frogmarch Jun 2015 #25

WOW! Arugula Latte Jun 2015 #27

That is one beautiful bug! In_The_Wind Jun 2015 #28

shenmue

(38,506 posts)

1. OMG tiiiiiny

Reply to frogmarch (Original post)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 06:10 PM

Jun 2015

Skweeters!

frogmarch

(12,153 posts)

2. It sure is!

Reply to shenmue (Reply #1)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 06:12 PM

Jun 2015

I wonder how many I've missed seeing. I love mantises.

MuseRider

(34,109 posts)

3. Oh that is nice!

Reply to frogmarch (Original post)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 06:24 PM

Jun 2015

Love them, never have I seen a baby before. Wow, cutie!

Dont call me Shirley

(10,998 posts)

4. Ooh so cute!

Reply to frogmarch (Original post)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 06:29 PM

Jun 2015

Our turtles had a baby. It's the size of a Kennedy Half. I found it wandering by the fence to our garden. I'll try to download photobucket and post pics.

Ned Flanders

(233 posts)

5. about that jar...

Reply to frogmarch (Original post)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 06:54 PM

Jun 2015

My kids put an adult mantis in a jar with a black widow one day, Thunderdome style. The mantis immediately attacked and ate her up like corn on the cob.

frogmarch

(12,153 posts)

7. Wow!

Reply to Ned Flanders (Reply #5)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 06:59 PM

Jun 2015

I am astonished. I knew that mantises were top-notch predators, but they can kill and eat black widow spiders? I had no idea they could do that! I guess I thought mantises preyed on docile bugs. eek.

Le Taz Hot

(22,271 posts)

6. We found several in our garden a couple weeks ago.

Reply to frogmarch (Original post)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 06:59 PM

Jun 2015

However, because of the drought, there's no aphids this year. I hope they find enough to eat.

tclambert

(11,086 posts)

8. But if you let them grow unchecked . . .

Reply to frogmarch (Original post)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 08:21 PM

Jun 2015

frogmarch

(12,153 posts)

9. Quick! Get a jar! A very BIG jar!

Reply to tclambert (Reply #8)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 08:31 PM

Jun 2015

Thanks for the awesome clip. Love it! ("What's it praying for?&quot

eppur_se_muova

(36,263 posts)

16. "Don't Worry -- {Monster Island is} just a name!"

Reply to tclambert (Reply #8)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 10:35 PM

Jun 2015

{fleeing from monsters}
"He said it was just a name!"
"What he meant is that Monster Island is actually a peninsula."

frogmarch

(12,153 posts)

17. haha!

Reply to eppur_se_muova (Reply #16)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 10:37 PM

Jun 2015

Good one.

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)

22. ...

Reply to tclambert (Reply #8)

Thu Jun 18, 2015, 05:18 PM

Jun 2015

aint_no_life_nowhere

(21,925 posts)

26. The Deadly Mantis - 1957

Reply to tclambert (Reply #8)

Thu Jun 18, 2015, 05:41 PM

Jun 2015

One of my favorite movies when I was a little kid, along with Them! and The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms.

DamnYankeeInHouston

(1,365 posts)

10. Mantises are one of the few insects that do not go through metamorphosis

Reply to frogmarch (Original post)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 09:10 PM

Jun 2015

along with crickets, grasshoppers and cockroaches. Sorry - retired elementary science teacher here.

frogmarch

(12,153 posts)

11. Thanks! I didn't know that.

Reply to DamnYankeeInHouston (Reply #10)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 09:17 PM

Jun 2015

I wonder why that is. Hmmm.

frogmarch

(12,153 posts)

12. Aha! I found this.

Reply to DamnYankeeInHouston (Reply #10)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 09:24 PM

Jun 2015

http://news.yahoo.com/did-insect-metamorphosis-evolve-110000783.html

I'm still reading it. So far, it's excellent.

DamnYankeeInHouston

(1,365 posts)

13. They are the only insect that can turn its head.

Reply to frogmarch (Reply #12)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 09:27 PM

Jun 2015

frogmarch

(12,153 posts)

14. omg, they do turn their heads, don't they?

Reply to DamnYankeeInHouston (Reply #13)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 09:33 PM

Jun 2015

That's right. I have seen them do it. Very weird.

Solly Mack

(90,767 posts)

15. Oh! It's a baby!

Reply to frogmarch (Original post)

Wed Jun 17, 2015, 09:56 PM

Jun 2015

JustABozoOnThisBus

(23,340 posts)

18. You know they hunt in packs, don't you?

Reply to frogmarch (Original post)

Thu Jun 18, 2015, 07:35 AM

Jun 2015

Did you see the others?

You are doomed!

rocktivity

(44,576 posts)

19. Then, of course, there is the most famous mantis of them all

Reply to frogmarch (Original post)

Thu Jun 18, 2015, 02:36 PM

Jun 2015

All Hail Zorak of Space Ghost fame!

rocktivity

frogmarch

(12,153 posts)

20. Squee!

Reply to rocktivity (Reply #19)

Thu Jun 18, 2015, 04:59 PM

Jun 2015

Oh, wait.

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)

21. The one I found was about the size of a quarter.

Reply to frogmarch (Original post)

Thu Jun 18, 2015, 05:15 PM

Jun 2015

frogmarch

(12,153 posts)

23. I wonder how fast they grow.

Reply to Spitfire of ATJ (Reply #21)

Thu Jun 18, 2015, 05:21 PM

Jun 2015

Also, I wonder how many species there are. I've seen pictures of some really interesting ones, including this beautiful orchid mantis:

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)

24. I recently saw a pic (I won't post) of one big enough to catch a hummingbird.

Reply to frogmarch (Reply #23)

Thu Jun 18, 2015, 05:27 PM

Jun 2015

frogmarch

(12,153 posts)

25. Eek!

Reply to Spitfire of ATJ (Reply #24)

Thu Jun 18, 2015, 05:30 PM

Jun 2015

I didn't know they'd do that! :-O

Arugula Latte

(50,566 posts)

27. WOW!

Reply to frogmarch (Reply #23)

Thu Jun 18, 2015, 05:48 PM

Jun 2015

Praise be to Evolution! Amen!

In_The_Wind

(72,300 posts)

28. That is one beautiful bug!

Reply to frogmarch (Reply #23)

Thu Jun 18, 2015, 05:52 PM

Jun 2015

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