Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Friend of the Gardener- Mantis

The Mantis is sometimes called mantid. It is thought to be evolved from the proto- cockroach.
Sitting quietly on the flower or foliage, it waits for its prey.
Its defence is its colouration, which camouflages it. This orange and black striped mantis on the marigold can hardly be seen.
The mantis is called the 'Praying Mantis', because of the position of its forelegs, which are usually held as if in prayer. In my pesticide-free garden, it is one of the important biological control of pests.

6 comments:

  1. Great camouflage in the last one. I had to click to see the details. I've been photographing many tiny insects but alas, no mantid!:(

    Hope your day is good!!

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  2. Fantastic captures! Love your composition! What a great little helper he is! Hope your week is going well!

    Sylvia

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  3. It is good not to use pesticides and to allow these creatures to keep out the bad guys who would enjoy munching on your lovely flowers.

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  4. Cleverly camouflaged but, I'm afraid, the mantid will go hungry in the patch of marigolds which are supposed to be pest deterrent plants! Or will it bust a myth? :))

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  5. Hello again. Fascinating, not something I'll see in my garden. I love to hear of all the gardener's friends especially in different parts of the world. Enjoy the rest of your week :-)

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  6. I've never seen one in person, I don't think we have them here. They are so interesting looking. A very good friend to your garden!

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