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Lewiston, ME
$12.94
Title
Praying Mantis
Artist
Bob Orsillo
Medium
Photograph - Original Fine Art Nature Photography By Bob Orsillo
Description
Praying Mantis - Original fine art macro praying mantis insect photography by Bob Orsillo.
Copyright (c)Bob Orsillo / http://orsillo.com - All Rights Reserved.
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Buy photography online
www.boborsillo.com
Most mantises are exclusively predatory and exceptions are predominantly so. Insects form their primary prey, but the diet of a mantid changes as it grows larger. In its first instar a mantis will eat small insects such as tiny flies or its own siblings. In later instars it does not or cannot profitably pursue such small prey. In the final instar as a rule the diet of the praying mantis still includes more insects than anything else, but large species of mantis have been known to prey on small scorpions, lizards, frogs, birds, snakes, fish, and even rodents; they will feed on any species small enough for them to capture, but large enough to engage their attention. For example, a large mantis feeding on a bee or bug might be pestered with impunity by jackal flies and biting midges that it would readily have eaten in its first instar. Large prey tends to increase in value with the cube of its dimension: a blowfly four times as long as a jackal fly would represent a meal about 64 times as massive. When a female mantis is into her final growth spurt and is accumulating nutrients to make eggs, the largest available prey that she can manage is the most effective for her to concentrate on.
The majority of mantises are ambush predators, but some ground and bark species will actively pursue their prey. For example, members of a few genera such as the ground mantids, Entella, Ligaria and Ligariella, run over dry ground seeking prey much as tiger beetles do. 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. In pure ambush mode a mantis lashes out at remarkable speed when a target does get within reach, details of the speed and mode attack varying with the species. A mantis will catch prey items and grip them with grasping, spiked forelegs. The praying mantis usually holds its prey with one arm between the head and thorax, and the other on the abdomen. Then, if the prey does not resist, the mantis will eat it alive. However, if the prey does resist, the mantis will often eat it head first, some species of mantises being more prone to the behavior than others. Unlike sucking predatory arthropods, a mantis does not liquefy prey tissues or drain its prey's body fluids, but simply slices and chews it with its mandibles as convenient, often from one end. If it should happen to have begun feeding on the midsection of the prey it typically ends up eating first one remnant end from one foreclaw then the rest from the other, leaving nothing but accidentally severed fragments such as limbs.
Uploaded
October 24th, 2010
Statistics
Viewed 14,772 Times - Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/24/2024 at 8:38 PM
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Sales Sheet
Sissinghurst, Ke - United Kingdom
Stunning macro of my favourite insect. Beautifully posed on the focal plane and a superb bokeh background.........L/F
Maine - United States
Praying Mantis - Original fine art macro praying mantis insect photography by Bob Orsillo. Copyright (c)Bob Orsillo / http://orsillo.com - All Rights Reserved. Buy art online. Buy photography online
Gillette, WY - United States
fantastically wonderful species the Praying Mantis are! I remember when I was young and on vacation with my parents we stopped to pick berries. I notice the bushes seemed to be vibrating. They were cover with these little beasties! I have no clue why they all congregated on those few bushes but at the time I remember thinking that I wish we had a camera so I could take pictures to prove what I saw! ...... I wanted to take a few home as pets for the garden but my mother, in horror (grin), said no lol you have a wonderful capture here and you description info was very interesting! thanks for sharing! .... and also congrats on the recent sale! (big smile)
New York, NY - United States
Congratulations, Bob, on the sale of the excellent macro image of the Praying Mantis. fav/l
Columbus, OH - United States
Glad these guys are as small as they are, otherwise I would be afraid! great clear capture! . . . .fav/v27
Littleton, CO - United States
One of my favorite insects. I have tried several times to get good pictures of them, but they never cooperate. This must have been a professional...;) v/f
Hessville, IN - United States
Wow...Love the sharpness and vibrance of your image! You always have such excellent work Bob!!
Viborg - Denmark
Ohhh what a majectic look your praying Mantis ,V/F .I hope you feel fine out there in the fields somewhere Bob .
Anderson, CA - United States
This is an exquisite capture of this little guy Bob; I love the translucence of his legs; the lighting here really brings him to life!!!
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