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Feeding time! She stalked and killed a fruit fly - it would appear that when they are eating, they don't let anything get in the way of them finishing their meal! Another fruit fly was also walking around and she was stalking that too!!! Greedy guts!! Did give me the opportunity to get a better shot of her though :) Chinese flower mantis,Creobroter Nebulosa,praying mantis Click/tap to enlarge

Feeding time!

She stalked and killed a fruit fly - it would appear that when they are eating, they don't let anything get in the way of them finishing their meal! Another fruit fly was also walking around and she was stalking that too!!! Greedy guts!! Did give me the opportunity to get a better shot of her though :)

    comments (4)

  1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
    Ferdy Christant
    Lion
    View Lion class
    These fruit flies, are they free-roaming (within some constraints) or handicapped in a way? Just curious whether they are easy kills or not. Posted 9 years ago
    1. View Stuart's profile
      Stuart
      Lion
      View Lion class
      They are indeed free roaming. Molly's enclosure is around 32x30x33cm (LxWxH) and is set up in a very similar way to this:
      http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzczWDc0NQ==/z/794AAOxypNtSilti/$_12.JPG

      The flies are fit and healthy and not handicapped in any way. I've tried to set everything up so it is as close to her natural habitat as possible. She may be small but she is an extremely proficient hunter - to top it off she seems to have a voracious appetite!       Posted 9 years ago
      1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
        Ferdy Christant
        Lion
        View Lion class
        Thanks for explaining, good to hear that this mimics natural hunting as much as possible. Posted 9 years ago
        1. View Stuart's profile
          Stuart
          Lion
          View Lion class
          Oh absolutely, I wouldn't have it any other way :) Posted 9 years ago

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The Chinese flower mantis

Creobroter or flower mantises is a genus of mantis concentrated in Western Asia. The name comes from the Greek "kreas" (combining form "kreo-", meaning "flesh"), and "broter" (eating); therefore, "flesh-eating", an apt name for a predatory insect. Both sexes have long wings and are capable fliers. Full-grown males are about 3 to 4 cm in length, females about 4 to 5 cm.

Info 4 1
Similar species: Mantises
Species identified by Stuart
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By Stuart

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Uploaded Nov 29, 2015. Captured Nov 29, 2015 13:50.
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  • Canon EOS 600D
  • f/16.0
  • 1/99s
  • ISO200
  • 55mm