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My Praying Mantis Encounters

Posted by sarah_444 , 22 August 2012 · 677 views

I found a little friend while shopping yesterday. I wandered over to look at some potted orchids (because I love them, but can never have one due to my cat's apparent need to devour anything with foliage) and noticed a gorgeous little praying mantis sitting on one of the blooms.  I scooped him (or her) up to show my kids who were interested but completely freaked out and stayed 2 feet back from my hand.  I let it walk across my hand for 5 minutes or so, snapped a few pics with my phone and then gently put him back into a flower pot.

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Cute little guy, huh? The guy working at the store heard my kid's excited and creeped out chatter and came over to check it out.  From (I kid you not) 8 feet away he informed me coming across one was good luck, but he couldn't believe I was holding it and didn't come any closer. :lol:

This morning I went to sit outside.  I like going outside in the summer first thing in the morning. It's quiet and warm and I can sit there or lay in the hammock for a few minutes not think about all stuff I have to do or get done, not worry or think about anything. Just watch the leaves blow in the tree above me and listen to the little birds wake up (before my little birds wake up fighting with each other or pestering me with questions regarding cookies for breakfast...)

Back to my point, I went outside and just happened to look on the steps to see another mantis on it's way underneath the deck (probably hunting for breakfast). 28 years I've lived and never seen one of these insects before now. And now I have seen two in two days? That's pretty awesome to me. I find them extremely interesting and being me, I googled to learn a little bit more about them because I tend to be curious like that.

Aside from all of the already interesting facts, the Praying Mantis is a symbol of spirituality, contemplation and meditation. Very interesting indeed...
:)





StarMountainKid
Aug 22 2012 07:06 PM
I've watched a few over the years.  They are interesting. And they can fly!
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SUPERSquatch
Aug 22 2012 11:39 PM
They're so cool.
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Simbi Laveau
Aug 22 2012 11:55 PM
Isn't it an omen of good luck,if one is on your property ? Money is coming I think ....
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They won't stay off my hummingbird feeder.  They are eating the honey bees or anything they can.  Don't like them eating the honey bees, they just came back.
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That is one for the books. And wow, StarMountain, I didn't know that!
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Simbi Laveau
Aug 23 2012 10:37 AM

_Only, on 23 August 2012 - 02:15 AM, said:

That is one for the books. And wow, StarMountain, I didn't know that!
They have wings .You never noticed ?
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StarMountainKid
Aug 23 2012 01:39 PM
As they usually just stand around, it's hard to notice their wings.  I've only seen one fly away, and it surprised me when it did!
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I was wondering about the flying when I was holding it because I couldn't tell if those were actual wings or not. They were closed up pretty tightly. I knew that they jump though, and as cool as I was holding it, if it jumped suddenly I would have screamed and probably traumatized my kids pretty good.
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Hilander, on 23 August 2012 - 01:06 AM, said:

They won't stay off my hummingbird feeder.  They are eating the honey bees or anything they can.  Don't like them eating the honey bees, they just came back.

Honey bees are probably my favourite bugs, I wouldn't enjoy them being eaten either..what do you do with the mantis'? You must have a lot more of them where you are.
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I was doing some work outdoors once and happened to look up in front of me, the path I was on...slowly, delicately, and deliberately, walking toward me was an mantis. Wanting to see what it would do, where  going, I kept still. It actually walked right up to me, upon my show--the right one--and climbed up my leg--my pants--up my stomach and chest, avoided my face, choosing my neck instead, went up and over my head, down my neck back, legs, onto the earth again. It must have taken about 15, 20 minutes. I stood statue-still, tingling.
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