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Project Noah Nature School
Sphodromantis viridis
"Mantises have two grasping, spiked forelegs ("raptorial legs") in which prey items are caught and held securely...Most mantises are exclusively predatory and exceptions are predominantly so. Insects form their primary prey, but the diet of a mantis changes as it grows larger...The majority of mantises are ambush predators. Species that are predominantly ambush predators camouflage themselves and spend long periods standing perfectly still. They largely wait for their prey to stray within reach, but most mantises will chase tempting prey if it strays closely enough." ~wiki
spotted on the caper bush in my desert garden
This nymph has been in my garden for a few weeks now, mostly spending time hanging out by the caper buds and flowers as they open. I'm pretty sure he ate all of the caterpillars that hatched from these eggs: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/247.... Kind of thankful about that because they would have munched way too much of my caper bush.
Spotted on May 31, 2013
Submitted on May 31, 2013
32 Comments (1–25)
Thanks, Doro!
Wowwww.... great pictures!
Thank you Omar and Tom! :-)
Congratulations on a great spotting!
Congratulations Bernadette !!
Thank you all! It has definitely been my "smile of the week". :-)
Congratulations, Bernadette!
congragulations well deserved NATGEOSOTW
Thats a freaking unbelievable miracle..well deserved SOTW...:)
Congratz bernadette...
Lovely! Congrats Bernadette!
Oh fantastic! Congratulations Bernadette!
Thank you, Harsha, Rieko, and Sachin! I am one happy spotter. :-)
Congratulations Bernadette.
Congratulations! It is a great honor to be chosen by the National Geographic spotting of the week!
Congratulations Bernadette. Great SOTW!
Thank you all very much! It is quite an honor. :-)
Congratulation on SotW !
Congratulations on the SoTD, Bernadette.
Congratulations, Bernadette! What a great honor and series!
Congratulations on your SOTW Bernadette, fabulous series :-)
Very nice congrats :)
Congrats!
Great series, Bernadette! Congratulations on your SOTW!
Thank you, Jemma and injica! :-)
Congrats, I am so happy for you, it's well deserved! ;)