Praying mantids
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European Praying Mantis | Mantis religiosa | 08-2022 | Ticino | Switzerland
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ABOUT THE PHOTO:
I originally titled the image above 'Pray, Love, Eat (Your Husband)' as a joking reference to a bestselling novel and to the name of the insect depicted in the photo as well as to the species' well-documented gruesome mating behavior. I changed it now, because I wanted to be sure nobody would take the title as a recommendation (let me be very clear: if you are in fact NOT a female praying mantis, please refrain from eating your husband - regardless how tempted you may be - I'm sure he will thank you later 😉).
To provide a bit of context how I got the shot, as most of you will be well aware, this past summer was rather hot in many parts of the world, and Ticino in Switzerland (where I take all my photos), was no exception. It was in fact exceptionally hot for a long period without any rain in sight, and so I found myself getting up every morning before sunrise to water the garden.
On one such occasion in late August I noticed the frantic movement of a rather large insect that was trying to get away from the splashing water drops. I immediately put the hose down and went to investigate. I could hardly believe my luck: it was a (in Switzerland very rare) European mantis, a species I hadn't seen in a long time in my garden (certainly not since my dear mother's ill-fated attempt to transform part of the garden into a "flowery meadow" - a sad anecdote you can read all about here IF you have the stomach for it: www.flickr.com/photos/191055893@N07/52177556047/in/datepo... )
The mantis had sought shelter from the water between the blooming phlox and was now resting completely motionless among the flower petals, and so I dropped everything and ran for my camera. Once I was back at the scene I realized to my horror that it was still far too dark to get a usable photo; I was sure my "rare prize" would fly away at any instant, but all I could do now was anxiously wait for the sun to come up.
Minute after agonizing minute went by (and Mrs Mantis made suspicious "I-think-I'm-going-to-leave-now" movements several times that had me hold my breath in utter terror), but finally my camera was satisfied with the available light, and once I had shot about 800 photos, I started to relax a little.
In the end, I couldn't have been happier; it had long been my hope that my little oasis of botanic chaos would attract this rare species, and that I even got to photograph it was a dream come true. And apparently I needn't have worried about it flying away; it was a female, and as I later read mantis ladies are in most cases too heavy to fly.
And they seem to be territorial (or at least this one was); to my delight, I would find Mrs Mantis either in the phlox plants or on the nearby hibiscus every day for the remainder of my holiday (here's a photo on the hibiscus: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/western-green-lizard-lacerta-bi... ), and so I got to photograph her plenty (suspiciouly there was never any sign of a Mr Mantis though...).
Anyway, many greetings and have a lovely weekend ahead everyone - and as always, let me know what you think in the comments 😊
Could use prayers for my brother-in-law Matt who went in to the hospital Saturday for massive blood clots and is in critical condition and facing more procedures.
The doctors have never seen anything like this. They are going very slowly to try to break up the clots, stop internal bleeding, giving transfusions and dealing with total blockages and liver and organ damage.
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The Praying Mantis is one of the most loved of the insect world to humans and one of the most feared to other insects.
It is extremely beneficial to gardens and humans because of its penchant for eating the things that bug us. They will eat mites, aphids and most other insects that are within the grasp of their front legs.
The primary predators of the praying mantis are frogs, bats, monkeys, larger birds, spiders and snakes. Praying mantids will also prey on each other, usually during the nymph stage and during mating and when there is no other prey available.
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PolarBunny - isabella nails. & akebi. bento pose
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Other items used...
Head: Lelutka - Ceylon
Body: Ebody Reborn
Hair: Magika - Autumn
Rings: RAWR - Oro rings
see Ukrainian flags on the left side of the altar
Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate de Nice FRANCE
La cathédrale Sainte-Réparate de Nice est une cathédrale catholique édifiée dans le Vieux-Nice, dont le bâtiment actuel est construit entre 1650 et 1699, année de sa consécration. Elle est le siège du diocèse de Nice. Elle est située au 3, place Rossetti, à Nice, dans les Alpes-Maritimes.
Sunrise at the praying hands this morning. I almost gave up hope as it was a very dark morning with lots of cloud. I had packed up my bag and was heading down the hill when sun suddenly broke through the clouds. A quick run back up the hill and I grabbed a few shots before the sun was gone again.
Along with everyone else in the world my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Paris. When will this madness stop?
I found this little guy on a shrub after a big thunderstorm the night before. Praying mantises are predatory insects named for the look of their folded forelegs, which are held close together as if praying. The name most commonly refers to Mantis religiosa, the European praying mantis—but it is also used for many of the other 2,500 mantis species in the world, which live on all continents except Antarctica.
This spherical panorama was taken in the Presbytery at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, England. Architecturally, the cathedral is outstanding both for its scale and stylistic details. Having been built originally in a monumental Romanesque style, the galilee porch, lady chapel and choir were rebuilt in an exuberant Decorated Gothic style. The present building dates back to 1083, and it was granted cathedral status in 1109.
The east end of the cathedral, shown here, was completed in 1252. The Presbytery was built to house the shrine of St Etheldreda, the founder of the original monastery that occupied this site from 673. The shrine attracted pilgrims for centuries until it was destroyed in the Reformation.
The beautifully ornate stonework of the High Altar at the top of the image resembles solid gold in its glowing light. Behind it you can see the colourful stained glass of the East Window.