# How many clerks does it take to sell a praying mantis? (pic)



## EWTC (Aug 7, 2010)

A friend of mine mentioned to me Saturday that he had seen a praying mantis for sale at a local pet shop. I’ve been meaning to get some mantids to photograph for some time, but they are very rarely offered for sale around Vancouver. So I dropped by the pet shop yesterday to take a look. Sure enough they had a nice big, green mantid for sale. Not surprisingly I didn’t recognize the species. So I went up to the clerk to get some information about the animal and its care. To make a long story short, they had absolutely no idea what species it was or where it came from. The best they could do was say was that it was imported from the USA. Unbelievable! I posted the entire, somewhat bizarre conversation on my blog, along with a couple more photos.

I took the photos using a white box made from foam core, illuminated with a single flash. 

I suspect that this little beast is a giant Asian mantis, _Hierodula membranacea_, but I still need to confirm the identification...

Oh, and the answer to my question is four. It took four clerks to sell me this mantid.

Cheers,
EC
www.macrocritters.wordpress.com

mantid copyright ernie cooper 2012_filtered by ernie.cooper, on Flickr


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## Patriot (Dec 22, 2010)

That's a nice shot!! They have those things everywhere in all colors here in Korea. I can't go to work without running into at least one. I love how they stare at you.


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## Elppan (Aug 21, 2012)

Oh what a great shot! We occasionally get little ones sneaking in our plant shipments at work, I love playong with them. It's also hilarious because this tough girl at work is terrified of insects, so she freaks out when I let them climb on me while I.feed them pest insects from the other plants.


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## EWTC (Aug 7, 2010)

Patriot said:


> That's a nice shot!! They have those things everywhere in all colors here in Korea. I can't go to work without running into at least one. I love how they stare at you.


I am so envious! We don't have mantids here in Vancouver...

EC
www.macrocritters.wordpress.com


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## SpecGrrl (Jul 26, 2012)

I bought a whole egg sac in the spring and saw one of the little guys in July.

I also have huge orb spiders in the garden and lots of bird, so...

That photo rocks like Zeppelin!


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## Acro (Jul 7, 2012)

Looks like an adult female!
I was never good at mantid ID, yet I've kept many. 
Try the guys on manditforum,net, they will let you know.
And/or try this book http://www.angelfire.com/oh3/elytraandantenna/images/PrayingMantidsCover.jpg It's helped me out many times.
Great pic!


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

I love feeding them crickets. I always wondered how'd they do kept in a large enclosure. They have to be my favorite "bug".


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## Acro (Jul 7, 2012)

They would do amazingly in a big enclousure. You would just have to be sure they got food as some feeder bugs tend to hide. But you would see them at their most natural stance, instead of hanging on the screen lid.


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## etane (May 14, 2012)

Could you share what equipment you use for your macro photography?

That mantis shot is killer.


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## dprais1 (Sep 12, 2012)

they dessicate quickly. i put an untreated sponge on top of the screen lid then put a platic cup/container on the sponge with a small hole drilled in the bottom so the h2o slowly drips into the tank, preferably on some leaves. mantids will drink and drink....

and watching them eat crickets is cool...but watching them catch and eat a butterfly is really cool


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## EWTC (Aug 7, 2010)

SpecGrrl said:


> I bought a whole egg sac in the spring and saw one of the little guys in July.
> 
> I also have huge orb spiders in the garden and lots of bird, so...
> 
> That photo rocks like Zeppelin!


LOL! Thanks!

EC
www.macrocritters.wordpress.com


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## EWTC (Aug 7, 2010)

etane said:


> Could you share what equipment you use for your macro photography?
> 
> That mantis shot is killer.


Sure...Olympus e-620 body and Zuiko 35mm macro lens. The critter was photographed in a foam core white box illuminated by a Vivitar 283 flash. I have details about constructing a 5 minute white box on my blog.

Cheers,
EC
www.macrocritters.wordpress.com


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## SpecGrrl (Jul 26, 2012)

Lookit!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?....344136459006305.82553.343833822369902&type=1


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

Nice pic


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## EWTC (Aug 7, 2010)

GMYukonon24s said:


> Nice pic


Thanks!

EC


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