Indian Praying Mantis

Someone walked up to me today and asked if I would like to photograph an insect. I, of course, was interested; even more so when I saw it.  It was about one inch long and had been sitting on the leaf for at least 30 minutes.

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When I first saw the insect, I thought it was looking straight ahead.  Later, when I examined the photo up close and noticed where the antenna were, I realized it was looking at me!

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A friend who saw the photo told me she thought it might be a praying mantis so I looked for one on the internet.  I didn’t find any with the same coloring but there isn’t much doubt that that is what it is.  I read that the young mantises stay still for a long time whereas the mature ones fly away. I think that this one had its front legs held close to its body and the back part was curled up. Maybe if the last segment came down, the wings would be more obvious.  Apparently mature mantises’ wings are very colorful in order to scare away predators.

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Mature Indian Praying Mantis; Photo Credit: Wikimedia

 

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10 thoughts on “Indian Praying Mantis”

  1. Alo-HA Karuna et al……thanks for these great photos…..we have had some ONE-der-FULL communions with the Mantis this past year…………….Namaste StanleydelGozo/Premanandakumar

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  2. The pictures are beautiful. I know not much of photography,but there is this photo i have added to a poem on my page titled “The Abyss” taken by a dear friend.I would love to hear your views on it.

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  3. I’ve seen a few different Mantises around my home but never a segmented one like that and never with the tail curled up. They’re difficult to spot, you have taken beautifully clear shots.

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    1. I don’t know 100% that that is what it is but the faces are almost identical with the adult one. And if you enlarge the pictures I took quite a bit you can see hints of wings.

      In addition, the pictures on the internet that depict young versus mature praying mantises show that they are very different from one another.

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  5. Pingback: Now | Chris Breebaart Photography / What's (in) the picture?

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