giant African mantis - Cannibal and Alien at the same time

during the Corona Lockdowns you do not have many possibilities to observe the migratory birds at their usual passage points.

In recent weeks, I have been more concerned with the "aliens" so named by many, i.e. the African giant worshippers, who in all colours we have abundantly in our garden on the flowering plants and in the butterfly bush.

I would have to rename the butterfly bush now as the Mantis bush, there is always something going on. Right now in December and January, the front side is illuminated by the sun almost all day. So I observe heavily pregnant females warming up in the sun.


I'm just falling for a young mantis eating a bee. An hour later, the little one is eaten by a larger mantis. A medium-sized mantis just puts down her probably first oothek and then runs straight into the catch arms of a large, highly pregnant mantis.

The cannibal took 3 hours to consume her artgemossin without leftovers. From a certain height, almost all females can all be classified as cannibals. It is exclusively with us mainly the African giant worshipper, where the female reaches a length of 10 cm, the males about 7-8 cm. Interesting also with the mating, when the females carry the smaller males on the back with them.

As long as the Coppola is executed, the female has no way to grab the smaller male. Luckily, all the males I watched were able to get to safety immediately after the mating. But what if a couple is attacked by a large female mantis during coppola...

It is exclusively the African giant worshipper, where the female reaches a length of 10 cm, the males about 7-8 cm. By the way, males and females perform 10 skin changes before they are classified as adult mantis and are sexually mature. However, some animals can go through this in 3-4 weeks.

giant African mantis, male, Zypern, Dezember 2020

Panasonic DC-S1R + Sigma L-Mount 70mm f2.8 DG Macro OS Contemporary, 1/800, f9 ISO 800

giant African mantis, male, Zypern, Dezember 2020

Panasonic DC-S1R + Sigma L-Mount 100-400mm f5-6,3 DG DN OS Contemporary, 1/500, f6,3 ISO 1250

giant African mantis, female, Zypern, Dezember 2020

Panasonic DC-S1R + Sigma L-Mount 100-400mm f5-6,3 DG DN OS Contemporary, 1/500, f6,3 ISO 1250

giant African mantis, male, Zypern, Dezember 2020

Panasonic DC-S1R + Sigma L-Mount 100-400mm f5-6,3 DG DN OS Contemporary, 1/500, f6,3 ISO 400

Video

 

Die Cannibalin – giant African mantis – Sphodromantis viridis

giant African mantis in Cyprus


Video

 

African giant worshippers – the mating of the mantisis is a long and dangerous situation for the males.

But even couples are at risk of the population, as can be seen here.



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