Hi pentaxian friends,
About a year ago, I was amazed at a female Preying Mantis spreading her wings. From what I've heard, in the fall, this is the mating dance the female Preying Mantis performs but I've also heard that it is a defence position. Note that the females are green and the males are brown. The males are usually smaller.
The female is green.
The male is brown.
Today, we found two Preying Mantis hiding in a bush outside our business place. I extended my hand close to the female and she jumped on my hand and stayed there. I then extended my hand toward a male Preying Mantis and miraculously he jumped on my hand as well. Now, it is almost fall and this is the season. With my free hand, I called my wife on my cell phone and asked her to get my K20D right away. She did and with one hand free, I took the following pictures. It was a bit difficult to handle the K20D/Grip with one hand, and the images are not tacky sharp as I would have liked them to be, but there is a story here. The DA 16-45mm was mounted on the camera and I had no time to changed it for a close-up lens. If the old saying "A picture is worth a thousand words", I just saved myself several thousands words writing this blog. These small creatures never ceases to amaze me.
The rest of the pictures have been sensored...actually I decided to let the boy Preying Mantis go. He doesn't know, but I saved his life... for today anyway.
See what would have happened to him here.
Thank you for reading,
Yvon Bourque