afterthought of a long week: mantises

[anotheranon]

Not sure why this occurred to me just now - it was quite amusing when it happened, but certainly not memorable.

This week I went out for coffee with K. from fencing - I'd not seen her all summer and wanted to catch up. The evening was at that nice "just so" temperature, warm but not humid, nice breeze, so we sat outside.

Woman next to us leaps from the table; she was so loud I thought she recognized K. and hadn't seen her in years. Turns out she had a very large, very fast praying mantis on her head and was trying to shake it off.

Understand - I don't like mantises any more than I like any insect - they are crawly, creepy, tickly, and I would have been screaming my head off if I were in this woman's position as well :P But I have a soft spot for mantises because they were one of my odd fascinations as a kid. I remember collecting one in a dixie cup, and trying to find other bugs to feed to it, but ultimately let it go. At a distance, they are elegant, mysterious, and poised, in an odd way. Also, the fact that kill other bugs (including my nemesi, the entire arachnid family) is another massive point in their favor :P

Much fussing later, I got this speed-bug off the woman and chased it towards nearby holly bushes with a napkin (being very, very careful not to actually touch the thing).

Why is this even worth noting? Because usually I wig when confronted with large (~4") crawly (and this thing was zipping along - must have fallen in a cup of coffee somewhere :P) things, but I kept my head and he/she/it didn't become a big green "splat" in the middle of La Madeline's mezzanine and will hopefully live to kill more spiders :P See, my "kindness to animals" deed for the week :P

Trivia: it should eat well this year...

Comments

[tommdroid.livejournal.com]

a mantis? a praying mantis!? these are so awesome! unfortunately we do not have them in Sweden, I had one once when I had a petshop, imported, and it cost a fortune. very impressive little preditor, The very Death of Crickets :))

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

! Didn't know mantises were so valuable on the open market - I shoulda kept this one for you - big, green, 4" or so long (tall? big? how does one size insects, anyway?) and extremely active!

They are indeed very good predators :)

[timcharmorbien.livejournal.com]

We've got loads of 'em in the shrubbery outside the labs - - what's the going rate for black market mantis smuggling these days? ;) Mostly little ones, but we did have a four incher lurking on the windowsill the other day, probably resting from a hard day of grasshopper stalking.

But I really did NOT want to know that there's a spider within 3 feet of me, statistically or otherwise!! 8O

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

But I really did NOT want to know that there's a spider within 3 feet of me, statistically or otherwise!! 8O

I'm just hoping that one of my cats (or, hell, a mantis) is within 2 feet of me!

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Awwwww ... you've made me all nostalgic now. When I was ten, I kept a praying mantis as a pet for the entire summer ... such a fascinating creature. Was sad to have to let it loose when fall began, but there was no way to keep the little guy fed over the winter.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Yeess! I wasn't the only kid who aspired to strange pets (hi tommdroid! ;)

Did you ever go out and catch the jars and jars of fireflies?

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Fireflies were pretty rare where I grew up (I only saw them once and there weren't very many) ... too far north, I guess. And they don't live out here at all. Someday, hopefully, I'll have the right timing on a visit to warmer climes and get to enjoy a show. :-)