This post should illustrate that you just never know what you might find if you look close enough.
So I’m out in the backyard today, taking some pictures of Butterflies, when I notice this Honeybee that looks like its head is stuck in between the leaves of this plant. My first thought (seriously) was how in the heck does a Bee get its head stuck between plant leaves?
As I look closer, I see that those “leaves” where the Bee had its head stuck are in fact not “leaves” but legs, the legs of a HUGE Praying Mantis.
I quickly switch over to my macro lens and begin shooting.
.jpg "Praying Mantis Eating Honeybee")
Praying Mantis Eating Honeybee
The Praying Mantis was really going to town on this Bee. You would think (or at least I thought this way) that as aggressive as this Praying Mantis is, no other insect would dare come close, but that was not the case. Some crazy fly decided that a partially dismembered Honeybee would make a tasty meal, so it flew right on top of the Mantis’ eye.
.jpg "Praying Mantis Eating Bee With Fly On Eye")
Praying Mantis Eating Bee With Fly On Eye
It took the Mantis about 5 minutes to consume about half of the Bee.
Praying Mantis With Dismembered Honeybee
Below is a brief video illustrating what I have described so far.
Another 5 minutes go by, and the Mantis is done eating. During the next several minutes, it cleaned itself up, then put out a bright big smile.
Praying Mantis Head
This final video is a brief excerpt of the Mantis cleaning itself.
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by texdr
5 comments
texdr - Well I don’t know if it’s any consolation, but I can’t handhold hardly any lens. I can maybe handhold my 17-55, but other than that, I don’t even try. The majority of my shots on the blog are all on a tripod. That’s especially true with a Macro lens. Today was a good example. I tried to take some pictures of Butterfly eggs. With the slight breeze none of my shots were in focus.
BTW, after reading your blog, I think you and I work at the same place.November 8, 2009 – 9:29 pm
isaac - A Canon Rebel 10 megapixel with a 50mm macro lens for the near stuff and a 75-300mm zoom lens for the stuff further away. My hand is not the least bit steady, though, so I always run into difficulty with the intense close ups.November 8, 2009 – 8:34 pm
texdr - Thanks Isaac! What camera and lenses do you use?November 7, 2009 – 8:31 pm
isaac - Amazing pictures.
I have a similar post, albeit nowhere near as good as yours.
http://tinyurl.com/y9kuro5November 7, 2009 – 7:28 pm
Leecy - The black dots in the eye are “pupils” and really move around the big green ‘eye balls’… pretty neat looking from picture to picture…November 5, 2009 – 10:04 pm