My poor mantid got eaten

Guest_duncan27_* · Jun 23, 2008

Ok well I raised this little guy from an ooth. Gave many of his brethren to friends after many good times and achieving the last molt I thought it would be nice to let him live out his remaining days in freedom in a bush just outside my place. There were always plenty of moths and butterflies in it so I thought food would not be an issue. I got the ooth from a local garden store so I knew he would be fine in this climate and so I didn't worry.

Well it was about 9pm (dark which is why I missed the monster in waiting) and I found a nice place to let him go. Watched him for a minute and then thought, it would be nice to take some pics. In the minutes it took me to run up to my room and get back I found the horror.

There was a HUGE Lynx spider taking residence about 10 inches from where I let my little guy go. He must have climbed up a little bit and got pounced on.

Well I thought I have my camera, might as well take some pics.

duncan27 · Jun 23, 2008

sorry dup post

Butterfly · Jun 24, 2008

Darn, that sucks! And thats one BIG spider!

Now im even more spooked about the Ivy in my backyard!!

Giosan · Jun 25, 2008

Ah that sucks man

You'd expect the mantis got HIM instead!

The_Asa · Jun 25, 2008

Sorry...I always thought that a mantis would beat a spider in a fight.

collinchang635 · Jun 25, 2008

Sorry for your loss. You must feel terrible. I thought your matid would have eaten the spider instead.

duncan27 · Jun 25, 2008

I would have thought that too, but the lynx is pretty well camo'd in that bush and is an ambush hunter so, well... this round went to the spider.

idolomantis · Jun 26, 2008

i guess i got so angry i would crush that spider

Kruszakus · Jun 26, 2008

The_Asa said:
Sorry...I always thought that a mantis would beat a spider in a fight.

Spiders can take a much larger prey than themselves, mantids usyally don't - tough luck.

ExoticOddities · Jun 28, 2008

I live on 49 acres of Florida wilderness, and I would say Green Lynx Spiders are some of the most awesome and successful predators on my property, if not the most successful. There is no flower, there is no shrub, there is no leaf end that does not seem to have a Green Lynx awaiting on it.

I guerilla warfare, the one who lies still and waits invariably has the advantage. If you and I both have machine guns, but I am hiding and waiting, and you are moving, you are at the disadvantage.

In this case here, the Lynx was lying in wait, camoflaged, while you placed your mantid in a spot where he was moving around, open and obvious. The spider merely struck at the opportune moment, nailing the mantid on the head, and it was "Good night Irene" after that. That Green Lynx spider didn't get that big and fat by making mistakes ...

Had the situation been in the reverse, however, and had your mantid been the wild animal poised in hiding, and had you turned your "pet" lynx spider loose right next to him, the reverse would have happened and the lynx would have been mantid food. In the wild, "who strikes first" is always the determining factor ...

Jack

PS: Here is a shot of a young Green Lynx I took the other day:

I have seen these things snatch orb weavers out of their webs, crab spiders out of flowers, as well as a whole host other predators out of position, turning them into "prey" too ...

.

duncan27 · Jun 29, 2008

nice photo

macro junkie · Jun 29, 2008

idolomantis said:
i guess i got so angry i would crush that spider

your a tit then.its the mantids hard luck if it walked in to a spiders web,

macro junkie · Jun 29, 2008

ExoticOddities said:
I live on 49 acres of Florida wilderness, and I would say Green Lynx Spiders are some of the most awesome and successful predators on my property, if not the most successful. There is no flower, there is no shrub, there is no leaf end that does not seem to have a Green Lynx awaiting on it.I guerilla warfare, the one who lies still and waits invariably has the advantage. If you and I both have machine guns, but I am hiding and waiting, and you are moving, you are at the disadvantage.

In this case here, the Lynx was lying in wait, camoflaged, while you placed your mantid in a spot where he was moving around, open and obvious. The spider merely struck at the opportune moment, nailing the mantid on the head, and it was "Good night Irene" after that. That Green Lynx spider didn't get that big and fat by making mistakes ...

Had the situation been in the reverse, however, and had your mantid been the wild animal poised in hiding, and had you turned your "pet" lynx spider loose right next to him, the reverse would have happened and the lynx would have been mantid food. In the wild, "who strikes first" is always the determining factor ...

Jack

PS: Here is a shot of a young Green Lynx I took the other day:

I have seen these things snatch orb weavers out of their webs, crab spiders out of flowers, as well as a whole host other predators out of position, turning them into "prey" too ...

.

i see no photo

idolomantis · Jun 29, 2008

macro junkie said:
your a tit then.its the mantids hard luck if it walked in to a spiders web,

i spider being in sneaking in your room? not in my house.... remember whem my cat attackt my mantis, i was chasing it with abucket of water...

i lose control in moments like that

MANTIS DUDE · Jun 30, 2008