Used to Creep Me Out... Now it Fascinates Me...

I spent last evening with my daughter in the front yard sitting in the grass along our stone covered landscaped bed... I was helping her look for crickets to feed a praying mantis that we found. When my daughter managed to catch a cricket she grabbed a thin reed and used it to pierce the cricket so she could hold it up to the mantis and therefore 'hand feed' the thing... You know, like the mantis was a pet of some sort.

I was fascinated... I mean, I've watched her feed the turtle blackworms and fish so now I'm not nearly as squeamish about these things as I used to be. Unfortunately this particular mantis wasn't interested in the banquet my daughter set before him/her... Maybe 'she' had recently finshed off the head of her mate and just wasn't hungry anymore... They do that you know. On the other hand, maybe 'he' was simply confused by such a generous display?

My daughter says she has hand fed the mantis's, mantai(?)... Uh, 'Prayers' she found before and they've been more than happy to except her offerings... She even prided herself that this one had grown so large and strong (I think she recognized him.)... Believing she had a hand in that... And you know, I really have no doubt that's exactly what she did!