That's a great forced perspective shot! My first glance made me think, "HUGE MANTIS!!!" What radioactive hot-spot did that creature arrive from?
Mike · 15 September 2008
Proving why its essential to light parking lots at night.
Wheels · 15 September 2008
"I'm convinced that we're dealing with a Mantis in whose geological world the smallest insects were as large as man, and now failing to find those insects as food, well... it's doing the best that it can."
Ducklike · 15 September 2008
Please check the link in the photo; it is still connected to the Banded Tussock Moth.
stevaroni · 15 September 2008
HA! I see your ruse!
Sneaking in a Praying Mantis, Huh?! Cleverly designed blur the edges between...
Um, what? That's preying?
Oh, nevermind.
Gary Bohn · 15 September 2008
If this is a example of insect gymnastics, where are the other photos of it's parallel bar routine? How else are we to gauge what score to give it?
chuck · 15 September 2008
Thus proving that they will hire anyone they can get to return carts on the night shift at Walmart.
Our Giant Insect Overlords have arrived at last! ;-)
fnxtr · 15 September 2008
There's a Brian Aldiss story about this... 'cept his was much, much bigger.
chuck · 15 September 2008
EastwoodDC said:
Our Giant Insect Overlords have arrived at last! ;-)
As predicted by ID. ;)
KEithB · 15 September 2008
Burt I Gordon would be proud. (Or ashamed!)
Henry J · 15 September 2008
Our Giant Insect Overlords have arrived at last! ;-)
Only to suffocate due to our oxygen-poor atmosphere... :D
Boyce Williams · 15 September 2008
You call that big? Why, I saw an Hawaiian Mantis on my outside elementary school cafeteria wall back in the early '60s that was three times that size. All the guys just looked at it and the girls freaked out. Now, THAT was a Mantis!
Loved looking at them ever since. Nice pic.
KeithB · 15 September 2008
Sorry. Should be *Bert* I Gordon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_I._Gordon
Frank B · 15 September 2008
That Mantis is an elderly one. SEE, it is using a walker.:)
Gary · 16 September 2008
stevaroni: Actually, praying mantis is more correct, because they look like they are praying. There's even a species called Mantis religiosa.
stevaroni · 16 September 2008
Actually, praying mantis is more correct, because they look like they are praying.
Or, in extreme cases, evangelizing....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Praying_mantis_in_defense_pose.JPG
Stacy S. said:
I have these all over my garden. It's awesome! The only creepy crawly thing I like better is the Halloween spider. We get lots of those too!
Halloween spider?
You mean the golden orb weavers Araneus diadematus and A. trifolium?
Yes! Golden Orb! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:IMG_3575.jpg
We start noticing them in October.
Torbjörn Larsson, OM · 17 September 2008
I believe there is a bug in your perspective.
Stacy S. said:
Yes! Golden Orb! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:IMG_3575.jpg
I would like to know if that was the one I saw while canoing in Texas, but the reported dimensions are wrong:
2,040×2,640 (2.17 MB)
:-\
[Actually, the body and web sizes seems to match, as well as the locale. Thanks for helping me identify the genus/species!]
Crudely Wrott · 17 September 2008
If you encounter a golden-orb spider in her web and you have access to the side she is not resting on, and if you want to, you can do this:
Take a small twig, or use a finger, and slowly approach the lady of the house from below (from her prospective) and very delicately touch her on her--er--belly. A very light stroke along her (impressive!) abdomen. Repeat a few times.
Now, I have no idea what will happen to you and you assume your own risk, of course, but when I tried that the spider at first tensed slightly, then seemed to relax and allowed repeated contact. I was quite amazed. She appeared flattered, if not a bit bashful.
True story. Sarasota County, Florida, a summer from the 70s.
25 Comments
solarwnz · 15 September 2008
That's a great forced perspective shot! My first glance made me think, "HUGE MANTIS!!!" What radioactive hot-spot did that creature arrive from?
Mike · 15 September 2008
Proving why its essential to light parking lots at night.
Wheels · 15 September 2008
"I'm convinced that we're dealing with a Mantis in whose geological world the smallest insects were as large as man, and now failing to find those insects as food, well... it's doing the best that it can."
Ducklike · 15 September 2008
Please check the link in the photo; it is still connected to the Banded Tussock Moth.
stevaroni · 15 September 2008
HA! I see your ruse!
Sneaking in a Praying Mantis, Huh?! Cleverly designed blur the edges between...
Um, what? That's preying?
Oh, nevermind.
Gary Bohn · 15 September 2008
If this is a example of insect gymnastics, where are the other photos of it's parallel bar routine? How else are we to gauge what score to give it?
chuck · 15 September 2008
Thus proving that they will hire anyone they can get to return carts on the night shift at Walmart.
Reed A. Cartwright · 15 September 2008
EastwoodDC · 15 September 2008
Our Giant Insect Overlords have arrived at last! ;-)
fnxtr · 15 September 2008
There's a Brian Aldiss story about this... 'cept his was much, much bigger.
chuck · 15 September 2008
KEithB · 15 September 2008
Burt I Gordon would be proud. (Or ashamed!)
Henry J · 15 September 2008
Boyce Williams · 15 September 2008
You call that big? Why, I saw an Hawaiian Mantis on my outside elementary school cafeteria wall back in the early '60s that was three times that size. All the guys just looked at it and the girls freaked out. Now, THAT was a Mantis!
Loved looking at them ever since. Nice pic.
KeithB · 15 September 2008
Sorry. Should be *Bert* I Gordon:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_I._Gordon
Frank B · 15 September 2008
That Mantis is an elderly one. SEE, it is using a walker.:)
Gary · 16 September 2008
stevaroni: Actually, praying mantis is more correct, because they look like they are praying. There's even a species called Mantis religiosa.
stevaroni · 16 September 2008
Stacy S. · 16 September 2008
I have these all over my garden. It's awesome! The only creepy crawly thing I like better is the Halloween spider. We get lots of those too!
Stanton · 16 September 2008
Stacy S. · 17 September 2008
Yes! Golden Orb! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:IMG_3575.jpg
We start noticing them in October.
Torbjörn Larsson, OM · 17 September 2008
Crudely Wrott · 17 September 2008
If you encounter a golden-orb spider in her web and you have access to the side she is not resting on, and if you want to, you can do this:
Take a small twig, or use a finger, and slowly approach the lady of the house from below (from her prospective) and very delicately touch her on her--er--belly. A very light stroke along her (impressive!) abdomen. Repeat a few times.
Now, I have no idea what will happen to you and you assume your own risk, of course, but when I tried that the spider at first tensed slightly, then seemed to relax and allowed repeated contact. I was quite amazed. She appeared flattered, if not a bit bashful.
True story. Sarasota County, Florida, a summer from the 70s.
Stacy S. · 18 September 2008
I'll take a picture when they start coming out and post it on my blog ... but I'm NOT going to TOUCH it! ... Yikes!
Henry J · 18 September 2008
Where's Peter Parker when ya need 'em, huh?
Henry