I was attacked by a giant praying mantis last night!
By The Horse
@TheHorse (219080)
Walnut Creek, California
October 11, 2015 12:21pm CST
Once in awhile, I'll come home to find a large praying mantis on the outside wall near my front door. They're weird bugs. They are green, look like they're praying, and have heads that can swivel 180 degrees. They rarely fly away. They'll just sit there and watch you with their compound eyes and swively heads.
Last night, I came home to the biggest one I've ever seen. It was close to 4" long and fat in the middle. I wondered if it was a female about to lay eggs.
Anyway, she was on the ground, and I wanted to move her so she wouldn't get squished. I had read that they have grasping front legs (arms) and powerful jaws (they're carnivores), so I used a piece of paper to try and pick her up.
She got really mad, puffed out her wings, and was grasping and biting at the piece of paper. She was large enough that I could feel it as I held the paper.
Finally, I got her on the paper and moved her to a safer place.
This morning, she was back on the ground near my front door. I hope shes not suicidal. Maybe she has mistaken me for her future mate, but I'm not interested, as I've read that females bite the heads off of their lovers about 30% of the time.
Do you have praying mantises where you live?
11 people like this
11 responses
@yukimori (10145)
• United States
11 Oct 15
Oh, she's spectacular!
I found one a little smaller than that hanging out on the screen on the kids' window. I usually leave them alone, but I caught that one in a jar and took it over to the daycare to show the toddlers. They thought it was awesome, and when we got home I put it back where I found it. It didn't want to come out of the jar, though! 
3 people like this
@Jadedjinn (118)
• Pea Ridge, Arkansas
11 Oct 15
Hahahaha! Oh that's so funny! :-D LMFAO! I love the way you said it, I'm still laughing! :-D
There is a large female who lays her eggs on my front porch every year. She is almost the size of my hand and her body has turned brownish in color. When her eggs hatched this year I was lucky enough to see the new babies. They were stranded on the table. Being the crazy person I am I talked to them and offered my finger to carry them to my flower garden. One by one they climbed on my finger and let me move them to the flowers. It was really cool. One of them didn't want to get of of me it just kept running back and forth on my finger. I just let it sit there on my finger for a while. We just looked at each other. Then i told it come on little guy I gotta go and put my finger back to the flower, it then climbed off.. They are said good luck, i dont know about that but they are great for keeping the bugs down in the garden.
3 people like this
@Jadedjinn (118)
• Pea Ridge, Arkansas
11 Oct 15
@TheHorse they fit on my fingertip with room to spare
2 people like this
@TheHorse (219080)
• Walnut Creek, California
12 Oct 15
@Jadedjinn That's pretty cool. Mine is still out there. She found a sort of "hiding place." I wonder if it's time to lay her eggs somewhere, or what.
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
11 Oct 15
We don't have mantises here but I remember that one of my friends had one as a pet. I'm not sure how or what he fed it on - maybe grasshoppers which I believe can be bought in pet shops as food for lizards and snakes and such. They are fascinating animals and certainly make a change from stick insects (a quite common insect 'pet' here).
2 people like this
@NeldaHoxie (1381)
• United States
11 Oct 15
Perhaps you'll have babies hanging out shortly.
3 people like this
@allknowing (136775)
• India
12 Oct 15
I am impressed that you spent time with this creature. Its back because it knows it is safe.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (136775)
• India
13 Oct 15
@TheHorse Your house must be clean that you have no spiders and flies. Atleast for your friend's sake you better invite spiders and flies
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
11 Oct 15
'n that last bit - wuss 
yes sir, got lots 'f 'em 'round here 'n they can 'come quite ticky when they've no desire to be moved. i oops'd 'n watered one last year 'n she clawed the dickens outta my arm. looked like i'd been in a cat fight. 'course schtuff went from bad to hades when she got stuck in my hair...but that's 'nother story.
great shot, by the way. we've got 'em here in all colors - from that light green, to emerald, brown 's driftwood to steely gray.1 person likes this
@lilnana1111 (2305)
• United States
11 Oct 15
You're braver than I am, I'd made my hubby move it and if he wasn't home, I'd gone in a different door.
2 people like this
