Doesn't get much better than kicking off a blog with a Duran Duran reference (says she who was taunted with the name "Duran Durangie" in Junior High. Foolish girls thought they were insulting me! Me! I AM Duran Durangie!!!).
Super digression. In my back staircase, an enclosed fire escape as it were, (not within my apartment or I'd be on my laptop typing elsewhere) is a lost and trapped Tan Praying Mantis. Ava & I spotted it yesterday headed through to go do laundry. Its not uncommon for creatures to get into the stairways and apartments, this is a brick building built in 1917, so stuff gets in. Bats, spiders, moths, bees.....meeces. This is my first encounter with the Mantis.
So I'm nice, and while pretty terrified of bugs as big as my HAND, I figure I'll try to help it out. My daughter claims to want to be a bug expert when she grows up (she's 4), and will scoop up potato bugs (aka rolly pollies) and let them crawl all over her with no fear. Eeew. Mantis was on the window screen over the steps to the basement, so I get a long leaf and reach toward it, thinking it will behave like most bugs and climb right on.
No indeed. Swivels that pointy big eyed head around and looks at me like I was offering it a slice of arsenic-lace-sushi.
So, I back away. I'm fascinated with these bugs, they look so wise, so graceful! But I've read enough to know they can be aggressive when threatened (read HERE on Wikipedia for info that will make you cringe a little) and our sweet little Mantis out back is a good sized bug indeed. And on the wiki, check out the tan Mantis in defense mode. I may cry.
I left the back door to outside (not in!!!! NOT IN!!) open for it, headed back to check on him now. In honor, I give you a 1969 BLACK BELT MAGAZINE featuring the Praying Mantis....
Maybe I'll snap a pic of my guy out back, for now, here's one to creep you out for the day.....
Call me wacky, but I'm not sure how I feel about an insect with a 180 degree head turning radius capability. And those EYES.
Ang
