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Mantis with Prey (bee)
Sphodromantis viridis
28.5033, 34.508
Field Notes
Description:
"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
Habitat:
spotted on the caper bush in my desert garden
Notes:
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/24740008. Kind of thankful about that because they would have munched way too much of my caper bush.
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