On Friday morning, Art was sitting on his patio chair, putting on his shoes and was startled to see a humongous mantis on our recycling cart.
Art goes for his morning run on Saturdays at 3:30 AM.
It's dark.
He looked at the cart and didn't see the mantis so he picked up his running shoes, sat down on his chair and was about to stick his foot in and was super shocked to see the mantis right on his shoe.
He shook off the mantis in the grass and went on his run.
When he told me about it after getting back, I asked if he'd taken a photo of it.
"This is blog material," I told him.
"You're kidding, right?" he said.
So I went out to look for it and saw it was still in the grass where he left it.
As I tried to take a photo of it, the mantis started walking up the drain pipe. It boggled my mind that it could hold on to the slick surface with just his fingers and toes.
I looked up what this mantis is called and found it's a Giant Asian Mantis.
I guess the creepiest thing about mantis is that the female will try to eat the male after mating to increase fertility. It says this will entail a struggle. No kidding?
After having our breakfast, I went to look for the mantis but didn't know where it went.
I'm going to check my shoes before wearing them from now on.😬
POSTSCRIPT:
I was looking around for the mantis in the afternoon and found what I thought was him/her almost at the roof. But no... I think this is a different one. Good grief! I hope it's not mating season.
I have only seen a handful of them in my entire life. There are lots east of here from Illinois to the Atlantic and there are lots west of here from Nebraska to the Pacific, but for some reason, there aren't very many in Iowa, at least that I've seen.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the mantis pictures - I have always found them fascinating. Sadly due to lawn chemicals and other insecticides we are not seeing them as frequently around here (and I think ours must be a different variety, greener than this one/these?).
ReplyDeleteCeci
That is one huge insect!
ReplyDeleteLin Floyd says...I've seen smaller ones here in Utah-fascinating!
ReplyDeleteGreat closeups!
ReplyDeleteI think I've only ever seen one, and I think it was green.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, I thought one was just a stick blown onto the brick ledge. I picked up the stick and it moved! Saw one climbing up the downspout a couple of years ago, missing a leg. I let him be. Your's looks FAT and has probably eaten lots of little insects. My Dad saw one fighting with a little hummingbird, but the birdie got away. What a traumatic divorce they have after marriage. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThat is huge and great fodder for a horror movie! If I found one anywhere near me, I would be a basket case.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should paint a mark on its back so you can identify it as Art's original. I sometimes see green ones and find their egg nests hanging on a branch. I like them because they eat the bugs but they are scarce - especially since they tend to eat each other.
ReplyDeleteThey are one of the strangest insects.
ReplyDeleteThat's one big bug! I have never seen one just wandering around. I don't think we have them here. Yours are giant.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely blog material!! Mantis are fascinating critters. We see them on occasion here. They do look like 'horror" movie stuff.
ReplyDeleteGoodness! That is large!
ReplyDeleteYou did get some great photographs.
All the best Jan
awesome pictures!! i hope for the males sake it is not mating season either!!! our stick bugs look similar!!
ReplyDeleteI think she's about the size of our green gals, who also eat their mates. Did you never see them in Illinois?
ReplyDeleteThat is very cool. Who says that adventures are not found at home?
ReplyDeleteIt is huge! I would have been unwilling to pick it up, too.
ReplyDeleteWhat an unexpected encounter with a really giant Asian mantis! It must have been quite a surprise to see such a large insect right on the recycling cart and then again on his running shoe. Kudos to Art for handling the situation calmly and continuing with his run despite the surprise visitor! www.melodyjacob.com
ReplyDeleteI've seen several over the years. They really are amazing. One of my cats pointed it out to me, and I picked it up to move it. It pinched me! It really hurt. I learned my lesson.
ReplyDeleteSomehow , I missed this cool post. Yes, I wouldn't want this critter in my shoe or any other place.
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