Chinese Mantis, Mines of Spain, Dubuque, Iowa
Yesterday I promised you the photo of an interesting insect we found during a hike in the Mines of Spain. It was a species, commonly known as a praying mantis, just sitting in the grass on the trail. This one is a Chinese mantis, native to Asia and nearby islands, but it was introduced to America accidentally in 1896. They eat primarily other insects but females are also known to catch sometimes small vertebrates. This one was about 4 inches long (~11 cm), much bigger than the European mantis or the Carolina mantis, which can be found here as well.
I read September is there mating time and this can be a tragic time for some males because the females are cannibalistic and cannibalism occurs in about half of matings.
They 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. (source for all facts: Wikipedia)
I started taking some pictures from slightly above but it didn’t satisfy me. Laying in the grass and going down with the lens to eye level with the mantis made at the end for the better photo.
Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4