Wild Chinese Mantis pt.1 - eats butterfly & hangs with bumble bee

Adult female Tenodera sinensis (2010-10-07) - Saw her sitting on the fence and invited her in for a snack. She was very mellow and friendly. I fed her a cabbage butterfly. Tried to get her to eat a bumble bee but she wasn't interested. Continued in part 2...

part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RO_q1F8-FM

part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8GdgWj6P1E

See how I handle bumble bees here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GmlT6OIJAU

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• bugs
• insects
• praying mantis
• nature
• macro
• canon vixia hf200
• aliens

[tingly7654321]

are you an entomologist?

[precarious333]

@tingly7654321

No, just a guy who likes bugs. :)

[sh4p3shifter]

why try to feed it a bumblebee they are already endangered.

[precarious333]

@sh4p3shifter

Honey bees are endangered. Carpenter bees are plentiful.

[afterapplepicking]

The bee was too big for it. The praying mantis wouldn't have had any compulsions about eating that bee till only it's wings were left except that it was just too big. Would have put up a fight. Mantis could have hurt himself.

Notice how he chows right down on those flies. They're nice and small. Completely defenseless. Weak. Praying Mantises are smart. Big meal is not worth life threatening injury when there are other meals to be had.

[precarious333]

@afterapplepicking

Nah, she could of taken that bee easy. She just wasn't that hungry. She was well fed and carrying eggs. A mantis this size can take a humming bird! I've seen the videos to prove it. What an amazing insect.

[drakomytaka599]

I thought skippers were butterflies not moths?

[Ameffects1]

Bee wasnt close to big for it- lol just got a great video of one yesterday catching and devouring an entire bumble bee the size of a quarter!! ;)

[Marcin1990pwnz]

@afterapplepicking

/watch?v=8ZGP-qDwQf4 check this, these japanese hornets have about 2-3 inches

[Mantisman630]

Very good video, I loved this species, kept them as pets and observed them in the wild, keep up the good work!!! Check out my vids on This species too!!!!