The mantii have hatched!

After many years of trying (9 to be exact) I have finally succeeded in capturing a praying mantis hatch moments after it happened! Our yard has tons of the old egg pods all over the place -- mostly under our portal and on the apple tree branches -- and every year I intend to find an unhatched one and watch it for the day it hatches. Somehow I always miss it. Sure, we're able to find baby mantii all around the yard which is really cool, but I keep missing the big hatch moment -- until today!

Well technically, I did not actually witness the little guys crawling out of the egg pod, and I admit I am still really, really wanting to see that. But I must have caught it within an hour of the hatch because there were dozens of the little guys just teeming around the pod! It was magic! The look of wonder on my little girl's face...words can't describe.

I wish I were one of those awesome photogs out on DCF who can do a better job of the macro photography...but what I got wasn't bad. Those little critters are skittish and fast -- I was glad to get at least a few in focus. Oh happy day!





Views: 2

Tags: baby, hatch, mantis, praying

Comment by psychomom on May 5, 2009 at 8:29am
Cute little critters, you did good!
Comment by cathyray on May 5, 2009 at 8:59am
tell us again why you wish you were a better photog . . . these are great. Do all of the little critters come out of one egg or do they each have their own? how fascinating for you & your daughter!
Comment by Anthony R. Lovato on May 5, 2009 at 9:06am
I think you did a great job on the photographs--it's all about timing. Great work!
Comment by Mary Schmidt on May 5, 2009 at 9:33am
Wow! Thanks. I saw a just hatched mantis yesterday on my hollyhock - made my day. Not able, however, to get any photos (and his/her siblings weren't around.) Amazing that such a tiny thing (about the width of a hair) can survive.

It's the (truly) little things that make life worthwhile.
Comment by juniper berri on May 5, 2009 at 9:38am
excellemt photos!!! we have a few pods around but have not seen them out yet...maybe soon! Thanks for sharing~
Comment by mombat on May 5, 2009 at 10:03am
Thoose are fantastic photos, the light is great. What lovely babies for your garden.
Comment by Athena_Sword on May 5, 2009 at 10:09am
Great pictures! You really captured the mystery and personality of those cool bugs. When I was a kid, I found one of their cocoon pods. I didn't know what it was so I brought it in the house and kept it in a jar with holes in the lid. In February a bazillion little matis hatched and swarmed my bedroom. They are teensy tiny. I was heartbroken that they couldn't survive because I had messed with their life cycle.
Comment by andrew on May 5, 2009 at 10:09am
awesome.
Comment by CariAnne on May 5, 2009 at 10:49am
Oh! These little guys totally brightened my day!
Comment by Ricky on May 5, 2009 at 4:27pm
wow. That's just the creepiest thing I've seen all day. Good pictures though.

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