Let Us Pray

Nature 2 Minutes

However bizarre or intimidating they may appear to be, praying mantises have long intrigued scientists not only for their amazing camouflaging ability but also for their uncanny ability to control the spin of their body. Worldwide, there are around 2,400 species of a mantis—ranging in size from as small as a human nail to as big as a human forearm. Perhaps it’s time to bring out some more interesting facts about praying mantis.

Prayer-like Posture

The praying mantis earns its name due to its prayer-like posture especially when it raises its seemingly reverent forelegs. For the same reason, the mantis is highly esteemed in some parts of the world; a few people even consider mantids as a sign of good luck.

Remarkable Vision

Studies suggest that the praying mantis is probably the only insect able to swivel its head and stare right straight at you. Lately, scientists have also discovered that the mantis’ eyes may well be equipped with 3-D vision.

Accurate Jump

A mantis doesn’t jump haphazardly. In fact, it is able to control its trajectory by twisting its abdomen and body parts alongside head. They don’t miss the target. The head-movement is meant to judge precisely the distance between the two points.

Feeding on Birds

You might have heard that birds feed on insects but how about if it occurs the other way round. Mantises are the only insects that feed on birds. While hummingbirds are the most primary target, mantids do take on European robins, sunbirds, flycatchers, warblers, honeyeaters, and vireos. Chinese mantises, one of the biggest species, are particularly avid avivores, but only females kill and eat the birds.

Sexual Cannibalism

The female mantis kills and eats the male either during or sometimes after the mating. She bites the head off the male. Since females are twice the size of the males and they cannibalize their mating partner, males usually avoid head-on confrontations with the female.

Male’s Flight

Males are thought to fly only although both males and females have wings. Females, with their heavy weight and bigger size, are probably just too heavy to lift off the ground.

Number of Eyes

Praying mantises have five eyes out of which two are compound eyes while three are simple. Scientists believe that mantises might see things in three-dimensional way just like we humans do.

Ambush Hunters

Mantids are ambush hunters and their predatory nature enables them to take on animal the size of their own. Like big cats, they will stalk prey and grab it with its neck.

Ootheca – Egg Sack

The female mantis produces 100 to 300 eggs over a period of several days. The eggs are protected in a hard frothy liquid. The entire egg sack is known as ootheca.

Spinning Bodies

While in flight praying mantis manages to generate a bit of spin together with swinging their head side to side. They will swing their heads to gauge the distance and judge the landing on an unsuspecting target.

Source: https://praying-mantis.org/praying-mantis-fun-facts/

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Published by pat frederick

Published

108 thoughts on “Let Us Pray”

  1. Morning All!
    temps are about 45* this morning, birds are singing out there in the waning darkness, and we’re supposed to see some more sunshine today!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Morning, Pat! Very interesting open! Those eyes….!!! Temp now is up to 52 – heading for the low 80’s today, and possibly hitting 87 by Thursday, then the colder temps will be back. Bright sunshine again, too. No doubt my GS will be happy to see the Vincas gone from the BR counter! Even more drama with the GF’s family – her sister was hospitalized last night for mental issues. GF and the kids live with them so, while her BIL is taking care of her sister, GS and GF are taking care of the kids. GS, however, has to get up here and move his car so I can get my truck out. SMH – but he did get the job at NI&M, so that’s a good thing at least.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Morning Filly!
        I was surprised that the mantis goes after humming birds!
        oh wow…sounds like GS will have his hands full!!
        but it’s great he got the job!!

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Liked by 1 person

  8. Liked by 1 person

    1. Personally, I think prostitution should be legalized and regulated. If a woman enjoys sex and wants to earn a living that way, who am I to tell her she can’t? Who is the government to tell her she can’t? And, of course, you know how I feel about drugs – natural ONLY should always be legal – period. If I want to plant something in my yard and grow it for myself, that’s my fricking business – not theirs!!!

      Like

      1. well if she makes a living out of it and it becomes a profession–does she report her income? who screens her medically to assure the public she is not a health danger? who inspects her “workplace” to ensure clean conditions?

        Liked by 1 person

  13. Citizen 817
    April 11, 2023 12:24 am

    @realDonaldTrump

    14h
    The best and only way to solve the problem with China, and every other problem we have, is to get rid of Biden!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Citizen 817
      Citizen 817
      April 11, 2023 12:25 am

      @realDonaldTrump

      14h
      The way the U.S. is going, we will soon be in World War lll, with NO AMMUNITION!

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Citizen 817
    Citizen 817
    April 11, 2023 12:26 am

    @realDonaldTrump

    13h
    THE ONLY REASON I HAVE THESE ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS INVESTIGATIONS AGAINST ME , HEADED UP BY RACISTS, LUNATICS, AND RADICAL LEFT MANIACS, IS FOR PURPOSES OF ELECTION INTERFERENCE. IT WILL BE HARDER FOR THE DEMOCRATS TO CHEAT LIKE THEY DID IN 2020, SO THEY ARE GOING RIGHT TO THE OLD SOVIET UNION PLAYBOOK AND USING THE DOJ, FBI & OTHERS IN “JUSTICE” TO INTERFERE IN OUR ONCE SACRED ELECTIONS. WE’VE GOT TO SWAMP THESE CHEATERS, AND WE WILL WIN!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Citizen 817
    April 11, 2023 12:27 am

    @realDonaldTrump

    12h
    I am pleased to report that after a search, we were able to find the gold (paint!) Driver given to me by my friend & former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe. It was in a locker, with other clubs, at Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach County, Florida. It has never been used. Based on the fact that this club was given to me before entering office, I am told that there are no reporting requirements, but I am nevertheless forwarding it to NARA. My company buys thousands of clubs a year!

    Liked by 1 person

  16. it just never ends!

    nwtex
    April 11, 2023 12:28 am

    😡

    Trump due back in NY for questioning in AG’s fraud lawsuit
    April 10, 2023, 5:45 PM

    *snipped*

    NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is scheduled to return to New York for a deposition Thursday in a business fraud lawsuit filed against him and his company by the state’s attorney general, according to a person familiar with the matter.

    Trump is expected to face questioning at New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office in lower Manhattan, according to the person, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and did so on condition of anonymity.

    Messages seeking comment were left with Trump’s lawyers and the state attorney general’s office. A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions Monday evening about his plans.

    James’ lawsuit alleges Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, misled banks and others, in part by providing them with annual financial statements that misstated the value of prized assets, including golf courses and hotels bearing his name.

    James, a Democrat, is seeking $250 million and a ban on Trump, a Republican, doing business in the state.

    A federal judge on Monday issued an order asking if Trump plans to attend a trial this month in a civil lawsuit resulting from columnist E. Jean Carroll’s claims that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. The trial is scheduled to start April 25 in Manhattan federal court.

    https://www.aol.com/trump-due-back-ny-questioning-234454172.html

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Citizen 817
    Citizen 817
    April 11, 2023 12:28 am

    @realDonaldTrump

    10h
    The Democrat Party of DISINFORMATION is working full time saying that the reason D.A. Bragg’s “charge” is so weak is that it is going to help me get the Republican Nomination, and I’m the one they want to run against. Actually, it’s weak because they have NOTHING (but HATE!), and I’m the last person they want to run against. They said the same thing in 2016, and how did that work out? The Disinformation Democrats only do it to demean me, but I’ve had a lot worse things said. MAGA!

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Alex1689
    April 11, 2023 12:31 am

    This is a crime.

    According to the OIG report, healthcare providers failed:
    to inform 41% that Remdesivir was not FDA-approved…
    to notify 32% that they had the option to refuse remdesivir..https://t.co/wQPK7YTenc

    — Robin O’Brien (@zombiemommy) April 10, 2023

    Liked by 1 person

  21. ANOTHER EXPLOSION?????

    sunnydaze
    sunnydaze
    April 11, 2023 1:15 am

    🚨#BREAKING: Multiple agencies are on scene to a massive dairy farm explosion that took place this evening

    📌#Dimmitt | #Texas ⁰
    Currently multiple agencies and emergency crews are on scene and have confirmed with a multiple casualty incident at South Fork Dairy in Castro… pic.twitter.com/DyZyb9BiBA

    — R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 11, 2023

    Liked by 1 person

  22. not a good idea to release “aquarium” fish in natural waters…
    entire article

    A teenager fishing for striped bass in South Carolina hooked into what he called “a-once-in-a-lifetime fish.” But it wasn’t a striper. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) confirmed that the fish was a South American pacu, cousin of the infamous piranha.

    Drew Patrick, the fifteen year-old angler from Anderson, South Carolina who landed the invasive fish, is a regular on the Lake Hartwell, a 56,000-acre reservoir in the state’s northwest corner. “I try to fish in Hartwell every week, and my family striper fishes,” Patrick told WYFF-TV. “I’ve been fishing since I could remember, and I’ve always had a special place for it in my heart.” Now, he has an unforgettable memory.

    The fish was unlike anything Parker had ever seen come out of Hartwell, so he brought it to the SCDNR. Ross Self, the agency’s Chief of Freshwater Fisheries confirmed that it was a pacu, noting that the Amazon Rainforest natives and piranha look-alikes are popular aquarium fish occasionally released into local waters when they outgrow their tanks. He said they’ve been caught in the state before—but warned that it’s illegal to release them.

    Unlike piranhas, which sport a full set of sharp teeth, the chompers on a pacu are flatter, and perhaps more human-like. The flat teeth and powerful jaws allow pacu to feed on fruits and tree nuts that drop into waterways. The fish are common throughout their native range, but they’ve also established breeding populations in places where they don’t belong—including Florida and Texas. They don’t pose a threat to humans, but they can outcompete native fish species and introduce exotic parasites.

    SCDNR’s Self told WYFF-TV that pacu aren’t a problem in the Palmetto State, since breeding populations haven’t taken hold in state waters. Patrick said he plans to get the piranha look-alike mounted and hang it in his barn.

    https://www.fieldandstream.com/conservation/pacu-caught-in-south-carolina/

    Liked by 1 person

  23. creepy! the coyotes must have discovered the dead deer near the bottom of the driveway. I have a haircut appointment this morning in a couple of hours…so we’ll see what’s going on down there…
    I can hear them howling–one is close (probably at the deer) and the returning howls are coming from a lot of directions.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. is this on purpose? 20 MILLION americans are addicted to adderall and it’s now in short supply–at least the generic form which is mostly covered by insurance. without the drug, many are left depressed and/or suicidal…sound familiar?
    FTA
    And Ford considers himself one of the lucky ones. Since at least last August, there has been a national shortage of Adderall, often sending patients on a wild goose chase and frustrating providers and pharmacists alike. What’s worse is that, while the federal government and the corporations involved in the drug’s manufacturing and distribution first blamed labor shortages and then an increase in demand, neither has pinpointed why the shortage is happening, when it’ll be over, or how to prevent the next one.

    Adderall, also known as mixed amphetamine salts (MAS), is one of the most commonly prescribed medications for ADHD. In October, the Food and Drug Administration announced that there was a shortage of Adderall, because the drug’s largest supplier, Teva Pharmaceuticals, was experiencing manufacturing delays.

    this paragraph from the article seems reasonable to me—NEVER prescribe until you’ve met in person the patient.
    FTA
    The Biden administration is also taking steps to restrict telehealth, which grew exponentially during the pandemic but has come under scrutiny, as providers were sometimes prescribing medications to patients they’d never met. When the national COVID emergency declaration ends in May, new rules will go into effect prohibiting providers from prescribing Schedule II medications like Adderall, Ritalin, and a number of opioid medications, without first seeing a healthcare provider in person.

    https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vice.com%2Fen%2Farticle%2Fz3mv99%2Fwhy-is-there-an-adderall-shortage

    Liked by 1 person

  27. “And NOW For Something Light..A Little Inflation Anecdote”
    Jimychanga
    11 hr ago

    “So.. A boy and his grandmother were having a chat about the rising price of groceries. “When I was a kid, you could go to the store with a dollar and come home with enough food to feed your family for weeks!” she lamented. “Well, Grandma,” the youngster responded, “we learned about that at school, that’s called inflation.” “No, it’s not inflation!” exclaimed the granny. “It’s all the security cameras they have today!”



    “Interviewer: What do you mean by Competitive Salary? HR: It means your salary will be competing with your bills.”

    “Our system is bad. I’m 24 and only have two years left on my mom’s health insurance. Then, I have to find a new mother.”

    “Why are there so many jokes about inflation these days? Because demand has increased following a period of low interest.”

    “Did you think that inflation was bad just for you? Wait till you see what it’s doing to our balloon animals.”

    “Headline: Rapid inflation leads US Treasury Department to consider ending penny production. But that just doesn’t make any cents.”

    Liked by 1 person

  29. “America’s Bizarre and Venal New Religions — The COVID-19 Cult and other strange forms of worship.”
    PETER A. MCCULLOUGH, MD, MPH™
    APR 10, 2023
    By JOHN LEAKE

    EXCERPT: “This morning a friend in Boston drew my attention to a strange essay titled The School That Couldn’t Quit Covid, which tells the story of the Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca, New York. As the author, David Zweig, relates:

    ‘As of today, children at EACMSI are still required to mask indoors and outdoors. They are still prohibited from speaking during lunch. Second-graders who began school there as kindergarteners in fall 2020 have never experienced a normal day of school in their lives. …

    This is the story of why EACMSI is among the last schools in America to still enforce such draconian measures. It is also the story of how, when faced with a crisis, many public health authorities—along with regular people and bureaucrats following the authorities’ lead—believed that the more extreme the response to the virus, the more wise and virtuous the policy.’

    When I read this I was immediately reminded of accounts of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692-93, when the Witch Trials took place. As historians have pointed out, Salem was a fractious place riven by disputes about property lines, grazing rights, and who should be the congregation’s minister. The inhabitants were additionally stressed by the arrival of refugees from Maine who’d fled to Massachusetts from Indian raids of their coastal settlements.

    In the winter of 1692, some of the girls who lived in this stressed-out community started to behave strangely, screaming, throwing things, contorting themselves, and complaining that they were being pricked all over as though by pins. The local doctor, William Griggs, could find no evidence of disease.

    This generated the suspicion that someone (and possibly multiple persons) was practicing witchcraft and causing the girls to be possessed by the Devil. This in turn led to several arrests, trials, and executions for witchcraft. The last trial was held in May of 1693.

    I suspect that in some deeply archaic way, a viral respiratory contagion may generate the same kind of terror that Salem inhabitants felt when they perceived that an invisible, malevolent spirit had infected their girls. No measure for identifying the causative agent (suspected to be practitioners of witchcraft) was thought too severe. On the contrary, once they concluded that the Devil was in their midst, they believed that the harshest conceivable were necessary to expunge him and his agents.

    Philosophers and anthropologists have long observed that humans seem to be inherently religious in nature. Thus, if people no longer believe in the God of Judaism or Christianity, they are left in a spiritual vacuum in which they feel an implacable yearning to believe in something else. Many of the social and political movements that are now afoot in America and Europe strike me as an expression of fervent religious energy.”

    https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/americas-bizarre-and-venal-new-religions

    Liked by 1 person

  30. “Is Your Car Recording You? Tesla Employees Admit to Sharing Photos and Videos of Owners Including “Intimacy”, Kids, and Location”

    “Is your car recording you? If you own a late model car today, chances are pretty good that it is, because all modern cars today are connected to the Internet for the transmission of data, and these modern cars are also often equipped with several cameras.

    Tesla cars can have up to 9 cameras, and now an explosive report published by Reuters this week, who interviewed several former employees from Tesla, confirms that Tesla vehicles have the ability to record and transmit what goes on both inside, and outside the vehicle.

    These employees admitted that they often shared hilarious, and sometimes embarrassing, videos of Tesla owners among themselves in their own private chat network. Some of the recordings caught Tesla customers in embarrassing situations. One ex-employee described a video of a man approaching a vehicle completely naked.

    Also shared: crashes and road-rage incidents. One crash video in 2021 showed a Tesla driving at high speed in a residential area hitting a child riding a bike, according to another ex-employee. The child flew in one direction, the bike in another. The video spread around a Tesla office in San Mateo, California, via private one-on-one chats, “like wildfire,” the ex-employee said.”

    https://healthimpactnews.com/2023/is-your-car-recording-you-tesla-employees-admit-to-sharing-photos-and-videos-of-owners-including-intimacy-kids-and-location/

    Liked by 1 person

  33. phoenixrising
    phoenixrising(@phoenixrising)Offline
    Wolverine
    April 11, 2023 10:51

    Priorities, priorities …

    While China and Russia are reshaping the international system, Americans are discussing whether women have penises or not…..
    🥴🥴 pic.twitter.com/eLMrxy7D7Q

    — Richard (@ricwe123) April 11, 2023

    Liked by 1 person

  35. ok Filly…your area of expertise…
    would this journey by horse (Austin to Seattle) be okay for a horse? he plans on 5 days of journey with a half and one full day of rest per week…??

    entire article
    Why work a regular old job when you could use all the money you’ve made to just travel? Especially if you can save loads of money on airfare or gas?

    That’s what one Texas man has decided. So he quit his six-figure job to act like this is 1899 — and travel from Austin to Seattle. And he’s doing it on a horse, thank you very much.
    Videos by Rare

    Cyril Bertheau said he intends to travel through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho before ending up in Seattle, where he will stay for a week. Then he’ll turn around and help back home — where he will then be unemployed.

    Or at least, he will probably no longer be working for tech and transportation company aifleet.

    @2raw2ride Departure day for my horse ride from Austin, TX to Seattle, WA. Thanks to everyone who came out to support me. Follw my journey! #fyp #horse #adventure #austin #journey ♬ Blade Runner 2049 – Synthwave Goose

    “In my family, the Bertheau, there’s a tradition that the eldest son of each generation does a great, big adventure,” Bertheau told Fox 7. “It’s kind of my turn.”

    Making the story even more, uh, interesting is the fact Bertheau bought the horse, Shiok, on Craigslist. He intends to ride Shiok for five full days per week with one-half day and one day of rest.

    “Rest is going to be important,” Bertheau told KXAN. “I have to take care of him and make sure he recovers.”

    Along with saving dough by not paying for transportation (beyond the horse, of course), Bertheau won’t be staying at hotels or AirBNBs. Instead, he’ll be camping.

    And of course, he will be documenting his trip on TikTok.

    And yes, this truly is a long long of adventures involving his family. It started with his grandfather, who once traveled the desert on foot. Then his dad backpacked around the globe in 1984.

    “We are a little bit nervous because he is by himself on a horse, he’s going to be in all sorts of situations… but that’s part of the adventure,” Eric Bertheau told Fox 7. “Almost, I wish I was him. I wish I could do it again.”

    https://rare.us/rare-news/texas-man-leaves-6-figure-tech-job-for-epic-2300-mile-horseback-journey-from-austin-to-seattle/

    Liked by 1 person

        1. His biggest concern will be keeping the horse’s feet in good shape and plenty of water. He can graze grass anywhere. He looks like he knows what he’s doing and the horse looks healthy, young and in good condition.

          Liked by 1 person

              1. really?
                well i wish them both the best of luck…as long as he doesn’t encounter illegals or other thieves along the way he should have a nice trip and a great story to tell

                Liked by 1 person

  36. Liked by 1 person

  41. Side benefit of having my GS here: he has a LOT of mechanical experience on trucks. I mentioned some time ago that I broke my driver-side mirror backing out of my garage. It’s a big issue not having it. I figured it would cost $300 or something to get it fixed – he found the part on Amazon for $60 w/tax and can replace it for me in an afternoon!!!! Hot dog!!! The part will be here next week.

    Liked by 1 person

  42. Political viewpoint discrimination is much more rampant today than discrimination based on race or religion. But it’s not a protected class. We need to fix that.

    Make political expression a civil right. pic.twitter.com/QxxjDM2iAu

    — Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) April 11, 2023

    Liked by 1 person

  43. Liked by 1 person

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