View allAll Photos Tagged Pray
Jade Buddha Temple, 170 Anyuan Rd., Shanghai
She stood motionless like this for a long time in front of the temple gate.
ⓒRebecca Bugge, All Rights Reserved
Do not use without permission.
An Egyptian statue of a praying man - made of greywacke and dated to around 650-500 B.C. (which is quite old, of course, but when it comes to classic Egypt, that is rather late, some 500 years AFTER the end of the New Kingdom. And as my dear father-in-law, who used to teach classical history at university, always pointed out to his students: a year back then was just as long as a year is now. And yes, long before I even knew his son, he was one of my university professors).
From an unknown find-spot - now on display at Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen.
Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 430 genera in 15 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks. Their elongated bodies may or may not have wings, but all Mantodea have forelegs that are greatly enlarged and adapted for catching and gripping prey; their upright posture, while remaining stationary with forearms folded, has led to the common name praying mantis.
The closest relatives of mantises are the termites and cockroaches (Blattodea), which are all within the superorder Dictyoptera. Mantises are sometimes confused with stick insects (Phasmatodea), other elongated insects such as grasshoppers (Orthoptera), or other insects with raptorial forelegs such as mantisflies (Mantispidae). Mantises are mostly ambush predators, but a few ground-dwelling species are found actively pursuing their prey. They normally live for about a year. In cooler climates, the adults lay eggs in autumn, then die. The eggs are protected by their hard capsules and hatch in the spring. Females sometimes practice sexual cannibalism, eating their mates after copulation.
Mantises were considered to have supernatural powers by early civilizations, including Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, and Assyria. A cultural trope popular in cartoons imagines the female mantis as a femme fatale. Mantises are among the insects most commonly kept as pets.
Los Angeles. California.
Spanish Name: Mantis o Santateresa
English Name: European Mantis or Praying mantis
Scientific Name: Mantis religiosa
Family: Mantidae
Order: Mantodea
Age: Young male
Location: Benicàssim
Province: Castelló de La Plana
Country: Spain
Continent: Europe
Canon EOS 5D Mark II © 2016 Klaus Ficker. Photos are copyrighted. All rights reserved. Pictures can not be used without explicit permission by the creator
The praying mantis is a carnivore, eating mainly insects and other small animals. Many gardeners and farmers welcome them, because the insects they eat are often pests that hurt crops.
In some traditions, the praying mantis is regarded as a protective symbol. It is believed to bring good luck and safeguard individuals from negative energies or harm.
For Looking Close on Friday theme "Bugs & Co"
Back at home again, probably gonna stay for awhile, although the "wildlife" activities have slowed down a lot with Fall just around the corner. I find this to be one of the more endearing of my mantis efforts - it's all about the look and what passes for a blue nose in my book. Do check it large for the full impact.
Wat Chai Sri Phrum ~ Chiang Mai Province, Thailand
Nikon D5100, Tamron 18-270, ISO 400, f/6.3, 220mm, 1/1000s