Largest mantis I've ever seen.

[doktorhook]

Well in my introduction I made a referance to a big mantis I found a long time ago as a teenager. I was probably 14 at the time. Now I know all species have their mutants & freaks & this was surely one of them. It was a chinese mantis, female I think, but it must have been a full 8" long!!

I don't remember exactly where I got here but I think it was in a cornfield. I do remember I was on my bike when I found her & I also remember the very painful attack it initiated. When she grabbed me with her foreclaws, they actually made me bleed. The main spikes must have been nearly a quarter of an inch long & I distinctly remember that on each foreleg, the main spike was surrounded on either side by by two slightly smaller ones.

If any mantis could catch a bird it was this one. It was simply amazing I kept her for a few hours & let her go. Since I have been fascinated with insects as a child & in particular, mantids, I'll never forget this one.

Anyway I know it may be a little hard to believe, especially since I'm new, but I swear to you it's the truth.

 

[Sparky]

In Texas my aunt and uncles go to the creek and find HUGE religiosa and chinese.

Its common to find monsterous mantids in the wild

 

[doktorhook]

I was under the impression that chinese only got to be about 5 or 6 inches long which is big for any insect but perhaps that's a Standard not a maximum possible. In any case I distinctly remember how brutish it was.

 

[OGIGA]

8 inches?? I want a mantis that size!

 

[Sparky]

Any insect above 4 inches is big to me.

 

[Precious]

Size does matter.

 

[buddhistsoldier88]

Size does matter.

Thats what she said! Whhhooo!!!!

 

[Sparky]

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL :lol:

 

[bubforever]

owned

 

[Rick]

I think it was just your recollection or younger perspective making it seem so large. I used to think I also found them that big but now I know better.

 

[doktorhook]

lol, rick I knew that would come up. I understand where you're coming from but I'm a big guy. I was big back then too. Meat was cheap when I was growing up I suppose.

In all seriousness though I don't think that was the case. As I said, I have been interested in insects most of my life & in particular the mantids. Now I know I didn't ( & still do not) have the technical information that many other members here have. But I've caught quite a few number of mantids in my lifetime. None of them, & I mean none of them even came close to this beauty. But I can't say for 100% sure because I'm now 35 as opposed to 14. That mantis has been dead a long time now. What I should have done was put it in a kill jar & kept it. Then I'de of known how big it was for sure.

I don't think I could have done that back then though. I used to be a lot softer hearted than I am now.

 

[Rick]

lol, rick I knew that would come up. I understand where you're coming from but I'm a big guy. I was big back then too. Meat was cheap when I was growing up I suppose.In all seriousness though I don't think that was the case. As I said, I have been interested in insects most of my life & in particular the mantids. Now I know I didn't ( & still do not) have the technical information that many other members here have. But I've caught quite a few number of mantids in my lifetime. None of them, & I mean none of them even came close to this beauty. But I can't say for 100% sure because I'm now 35 as opposed to 14. That mantis has been dead a long time now. What I should have done was put it in a kill jar & kept it. Then I'de of known how big it was for sure.

I don't think I could have done that back then though. I used to be a lot softer hearted than I am now.

Well I used to also swear they were that big but they weren't and I know that now.

 

[doktorhook]

lol, rick I knew that would come up. I understand where you're coming from but I'm a big guy. I was big back then too. Meat was cheap when I was growing up I suppose.In all seriousness though I don't think that was the case. As I said, I have been interested in insects most of my life & in particular the mantids. Now I know I didn't ( & still do not) have the technical information that many other members here have. But I've caught quite a few number of mantids in my lifetime. None of them, & I mean none of them even came close to this beauty. But I can't say for 100% sure because I'm now 35 as opposed to 14. That mantis has been dead a long time now. What I should have done was put it in a kill jar & kept it. Then I'de of known how big it was for sure.

I don't think I could have done that back then though. I used to be a lot softer hearted than I am now.

Well I used to also swear they were that big but they weren't and I know that now.

Whatever you say man.

 

[Orin]

Don't blame Rick, it's those darn companies that make rulers!

If you send me a specimen (dead is fine) of a 6 inch mantis from the United States I'll send you back $300. $1,000 for an 8" specimen (I'm sure I could offer $1,000,000 safely but I don't have that kind of cash).

 

[Rick]

Don't blame Rick, it's those darn companies that make rulers! If you send me a specimen (dead is fine) of a 6 inch mantis from the United States I'll send you back $300. $1,000 for an 8" specimen (I'm sure I could offer $1,000,000 safely but I don't have that kind of cash).

Well I will also keep my eyes out for that 8 incher Orin. But I know it's not gonna happen. :lol:

 

[Asa]

Chinese do look really big...8 inches is something of a stretch though.

 

[doktorhook]

Well it's like I said, I didn't measure it. It was a guesstimate but it was bigger than any other mantid I have ever seen. I realise I could be off by as much as maybe an inch & a half but I'm telling you now it was longer than my outstretched hand ( lengthwise obviously). I just put it out there man. It's your perogative to believe or disbelieve.

 

[jarek]

8 inches?? I want a mantis that size!

and I want to have mantis bigger than me

 

[Rick]

Well it's like I said, I didn't measure it. It was a guesstimate but it was bigger than any other mantid I have ever seen. I realise I could be off by as much as maybe an inch & a half but I'm telling you know it was longer than my outstretched hand ( lengthwise obviously). I just put it out there man. It's your perogative to believe or disbelieve.

They are one of the largest mantids. Probably is the largest in the US. So I can see how it would of seemed that large looking back on it now. I have run across many people who said they saw a 6 or 8 inch mantis. But the truth is they just don't get that big.