Wednesday, February 15, 2006
2/15/2006 07:31:00 AM

Playing with a Praying Mantis

posted by Francis Ho




Every year we have a reunion lunch at our parent's house. Although they had both passed on, we still carried on with the family tradition by getting together once a year with my brothers and sisters together with our families. Going back to the old house brought a flood of memories and I went out to the garden to look at the fruit trees that my mother had planted when she was alive.

My mum has 'green fingers' and every plants and trees her hand touches flourishes (guess that could be why all of us are so tall or big size!). I saw that the starfruit tree was laden with fruits with so many fruits already lying on the ground. I plucked about a dozen or more fruits and brought them inside the house to share with everyone. Just then KH2o gave off a loud shreik! I then noticed that there was a praying mantis amongst the fruits and it promptly jumped onto me. I tried to pry it off my arm so that I could put it back into the tree and when I did, it bit me drawing blood with is sharp incisors.

Here are some pics of this ungrateful praying mantis! You can easily tell from the way it 'poses' where the inspiration for all those 'kungfu' fighting moves comes from! Impressive right? I felt smug that I was able to capture and show it here. So enjoy.

And oh yeah -"living in Kuching is like watching the Discovery Channel sometimes" (quoting my fellow Kuching Bloggers); what with scorpions, snakes and lizards abound - but this is up close and personal; OUCH!
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  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Blogger iml said:

Hi, have been cruising your blog for sometime now.*Fascinating* If you ever conduct a kuching tour. Count me in!!

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Anonymous Anonymous said:

i hope the bite was not kayaking threatening?!? hehe

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Blogger Fish Fish said:

Since young, adults were telling me that praying mantis holds some parasite in their body. If they bite you, they parasite will be transfered into the victim's body, and you couldn't get rid of it. Hmmm... I don't know how true it is, but because of that, I never has the gut to play with praying mantis.

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Blogger Francis Ho said:

Hi PeppermintEnergy! - email me for the latest Kuching weekend tour(s)!

mangrooveDan & fish fish - now u folks have me worried! Am i doomed now? ;o) I'd better check with the lady doc! :)

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Anonymous Anonymous said:

fh2o... any pictures of the bite... (and the blood oozing)?

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Blogger Francis Ho said:

mangrooveDan - i wanted to take but didn't lah! small specks of blood only - NOT gruesome enough! ppl will think i'm a wimp if i show it.

In addition to 'bondage' r u sure u r not a sadist as well ar? kekeke

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Blogger Selba said:

Oh... so cute!!! very good pictures taken!!!

ps: please don't put any reptiel pictures in here because I wont dare to see it.

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Blogger Chen said:

wow.. praying mantis.
I see them but from afar :D
The praying mantis looks like posing for u to shoot photo :D

I think the praying mantis is harmless..
but I need to double check to reconfirm:)

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Blogger Francis Ho said:

selba - eerrr, with that zorro band around your eyes, u'll not be able to see anything!

are crocs considered as reptile?

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Blogger gus said:

Is it just me or does the insect has it's view locked on target, the photographer. The last picture, it glares with contempt...

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Blogger Selba said:

hahaha.... uhmmm... should I take it off? but you must promise me first that you wont post any reptiels.

crocodiels? hmmm.... it's ok lah...

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Blogger Robin CHAN said:

Did the praying mantis got fat because he sucks your fatty blood?

Praying bite very pain one, I remember an old man behind our house used to rear praying mantis and using the dropping as chinese medicine.. and they bite!!!

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Blogger Francis Ho said:

selba - don't u get all the guys excited when u mention taking something off! ;o)

robin - u're telling me! i didn't expect it would hurt and draw blood too! i shud have taken d photos as Dan has suggested n get the sympathy of all the babes ... :)

silveraven - woah! new profile pic n nothing to take off! heehee
it was a small bites with small droplets of blood at several places. this creature is MEAN!

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Blogger Francis Ho said:

agus - i like the last picture; as it looks like it was going to take a swipe at me! (which it probably was!).

with a praying mantis, u better not play, play!

  At Wednesday, 15 February, 2006 Blogger gus said:

correction; 'with a praying mantis, you better not pray pray...!' ~ PCK Pte Ltd.

  At Thursday, 16 February, 2006 Blogger Chen said:

unker, hope u are "alright" and able to sleep well yesterday night..
Don't worry... it is harmless :)

  At Thursday, 16 February, 2006 Blogger Francis Ho said:

chen - thks doc! i slept well as always.

afterall if their droppings can be used for chinese medicine, its unlikely that this creature be toxic. actually since young i've no fear of any insects, animals or reptiles ... they just are!

  At Thursday, 16 February, 2006 Blogger Pandabonium said:

We see some really strange manits' here in Japan. Big fat brown ones, long skinny green ones. K doesn't ike them, but I find them interesting.

Cool shots.


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