
Praying mantis seen hunting for fish in wild for first time - HillaryBriss
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/praying-mantis-eats-fish-discovered-india-a8548981.html
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ryanianian
> mantises appear to have evolved impressive learning abilities too

I found a mid-sized mantis on my porch the other day. These things are
fascinating. It seemed to have genuine curiosity. I kinda waved my hand in
front of it, and its gaze followed for a bit before it seemed to get bored
with my hand and then looked me straight in the eyes. Then it casually walked
away without breaking its gaze (its head turning nearly 180 degrees as it
walked the other way). I'm sure I was projecting and it was just trying to
avoid being eaten, but it seemed way more intelligent than other insects.

Thankfully these things aren't dangerous to humans otherwise I'm sure they'd
have us enslaved by now.

~~~
Razengan
> _Thankfully these things aren 't dangerous to humans otherwise I'm sure
> they'd have us enslaved by now._

There's still hope. We may get discovered by a warlike spacefaring species.

~~~
aldoushuxley001
If history has taught us anything, it's that we are the most likely to enslave
ourselves.

~~~
Razengan
Yes, some intergalactic conflict against a hostile alien species would be
welcome if it meant getting a breaking from fighting over the same old shit
between ourselves.

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tfha
[https://youtu.be/ooZtzyHTX7g](https://youtu.be/ooZtzyHTX7g)

Maybe first time in the wild, bit we've known they eat fish for a long time.
The above is a video of one catching and eating a fish, posted to YouTube 10
years ago.

~~~
charmides
Disturbing that it does not kill its prey first.

~~~
brahmwg
Often though they tend to target the head or neck for their first bites, I
think with the intent that biting there will make the meal stop struggling[1].
Not all the time though, sometimes they grab the prey and just start chowing
down, butt first :P

[1] I had an African flower mantis as a pet ;)

~~~
ryanianian
How'd your mantis do with human interaction? I've been fascinated with them
since I met one outside a couple weeks ago. They seem like they could do some
real damage if they wanted to but all the reading I've done it seems like
they're pretty tolerant of being handled and rarely/never bite.

~~~
chrisseaton
> They seem like they could do some real damage if they wanted to

A mantis could do real damage to a human?

~~~
fanpuns
I have had this memory from some time ago about a scene from a podcast.
Scientists in a lab are trying to wrangle an insect (which I remember to be a
mantis of some kind) with a glass rod. The insect bites the rod with such
force that it snaps and the arc of the motion lacerates the bugs middle
(thorax?). From the cut fat begins to come out. Instictually the bug begins to
eat it's own fat while dying.

I wish I could remember or find the podcast. I feel like it was radio lab, but
can't find it.

~~~
pxq
[https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/185551-killer-
empathy/](https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/185551-killer-empathy/)

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throwaway0255
I love the last sentence of the article:

> Adult females are known to eat their mating partners after sex.

Just thought they'd throw that one in before signing off! But I do suppose a
writer would be remiss not to remind you of that fact given the opportunity.

And a fascinating comment (which I haven't confirmed yet) from a reader below
the article:

> Sigh, females HAVE to eat the head of the male to remove the inhibition
> stopping him from climaxing. > > It doesn't happen AFTER sex, it is required
> for the sex to be successful in terms of conception.

I never knew that. This behavior has only ever been explained to me as some
kind of vindictive or inexplicable act by the female mantis.

I wonder how the female mantis knows that this is a way to disinhibit the
male's climax?? Nature can be so strange.

~~~
phyzome
That's wrong, they don't _have_ to do it. But it sure does help if they're not
otherwise getting enough to eat!

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis#Sexual_cannibalism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis#Sexual_cannibalism)

Apparently it happens more often under laboratory conditions than in the wild.

~~~
brennebeck
> Early researchers thought that because copulatory movement is controlled by
> a ganglion in the abdomen, not the head, removal of the male's head was a
> reproductive strategy by females to enhance fertilization while obtaining
> sustenance. Later, this behavior appeared to be an artifact of intrusive
> laboratory observation. Whether the behavior is natural in the field or also
> the result of distractions caused by the human observer remains
> controversial.

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bsilvereagle
Source:
[https://jor.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=28067](https://jor.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=28067)

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anonytrary
> The research team were surprised by the visual capability of the mantis,
> which could see its prey underneath the surface of the water.

According to this 2010 video[0] of a mantis catching a goldfish, the mantis
has no problem doing this, however it was a human-manipulated situation during
daylight.

[0]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooZtzyHTX7g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooZtzyHTX7g)

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newusertoday
shouldn't the title be "preying"?

~~~
grzm
> _" [Their] upright posture, while remaining stationary with forearms folded,
> has led to the common name _praying mantis _. "_

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis)

