Mantis Displays His Colors

 Mantis Displays His Colors The Artistry of Camouflage My slogan, "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" transpired from those awesome moments when I stumbled on nature's most creative side.  One of those rare moments was when I tried to move a male praying mantis from the street to a more secure location and he fanned out his wings in a manner of protest. Most of the time the praying mantis will spend it's time going unnoticed by camouflage and concealment to blend in with the surroundings with It's front legs are folded as if in prayer. When the legs are unfolded, they reveal sharp, long spikes for grasping prey.  During the few times that I have held a mantis, I have never been bit, however the spikes are very sharp and once in their grasp there is no getting away. When threatened, the mantis will try and make itself appear larger by standing tall, spreading its wings and raising the forelegs in a combative stance.   As beautiful as the vivid colors and eyespot appear on the wings, they are there for a practical application, to startle a predator. For additional reading: http://insected.arizona.edu/mantidinfo.htm With my Nikon and tripod, my goal is to recreate the scene as it appears in nature, to preserve in a photographic image the awesome, yet simplistic beauty of the scene that waits around a bend or over a hill. Sometimes it's a colorful landscape, and many times I'm allowed in the presence of the numerous creatures that adapt to life in the wild.  No images on this blog are within Public Domain and are available for free download.  All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request. "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" nFollow this blog for upcoming post!Photos Make Great Gifts!Many of these images are available on our website.We now offerGift CertificatesandDigital Downloadsin addition to the"Off The Wall"custom matted and framed images. Visit our website at:http://www.bonnierannald.com/To follow the blog or see the other post:http://bonnierannald.blogspot.com/