When I was a kid in Ohio, our science teacher had us collecting egg cases in late spring from a field trip. Our rural community was in the middle of large cornfields and insects were constant inhabitants. We didn鈥檛 know what kind they were but she put them in her vented metal cupboard over the summer vacation. When school started again in September, millions of 1 inch baby praying mantis had hatched! The janitors had to sweep them up and throw them outside. They were everywhere!! Even after we were allowed back into the building, I could hear girls scream when they encountered some of the 鈥渆scapees鈥. I laughed when I heard these screening ninnies!
Another time, I wasn鈥檛 so brave. It was late fall and the corn stalks had dried in our large garden. I heard a really loud commotion in the middle of the cornfield, cornstalks were thrashing all around. I was cautiously curious and quietly walked near enough to see what had caused the commotion. Two huge 4-5鈥 brown mantids were fighting!! They were jumping and flying all around the dry cornstalks. I didn鈥檛 stick around to see the outcome but have always wondered about this behavior. Are mantids territorial? Was this a mating ritual? I never found out, and am still just as curious.
When I was a kid in Ohio, our science teacher had us collecting egg cases in late spring from a field trip. Our rural community was in the middle of large cornfields and insects were constant inhabitants. We didn鈥檛 know what kind they were but she put them in her vented metal cupboard over the summer vacation. When school started again in September, millions of 1 inch baby praying mantis had hatched! The janitors had to sweep them up and throw them outside. They were everywhere!! Even after we were allowed back into the building, I could hear girls scream when they encountered some of the 鈥渆scapees鈥. I laughed when I heard these screening ninnies!
Another time, I wasn鈥檛 so brave. It was late fall and the corn stalks had dried in our large garden. I heard a really loud commotion in the middle of the cornfield, cornstalks were thrashing all around. I was cautiously curious and quietly walked near enough to see what had caused the commotion. Two huge 4-5鈥 brown mantids were fighting!! They were jumping and flying all around the dry cornstalks. I didn鈥檛 stick around to see the outcome but have always wondered about this behavior. Are mantids territorial? Was this a mating ritual? I never found out, and am still just as curious.