When Insects Attack - Mauled by a Mantis!

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Rue

Rue

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Yesterday, while out hiking I spotted a huge green praying mantis on the bonnet of a Toyota Corolla. Thinking it would make a good subject for some macro photography I got the camera out. As I got the camera closer, the mantis started it's warning 'dance' but I kept trying to get the shot. Suddenly, the insect jumped straight at my camera and hand and started jabbing it's sharp talons into both. I was so shocked that I literally threw my $600 camera onto the concrete road, needless to say it took a bit of a battering, and ran away like a big girl. Respect to the mantis though, I should have left it alone.

Has anyone else been attacked by an animal when you should have known better not to interfere.

The deadly beast just before the attack!

mantis.jpg
 
Besides the countless bee/wasp stings, I've been bitten by chipmunks two times and had a snake try bit my ankle.

The first chipmunk bit me when I was trying to chase him out of the garage, I nailed his tail with a pole, he ran, pulled it off (the tail!) then ran around and bit my ankle. The 2nd time, I was holding one and was not careful; (s)he bit my hand.

The snake I hit with the lawnmower, but I was too quick for him.
 
First off, I do respect the mantis, so for just getting that photo I have gotta give you some respect too. 👍 :lol: :D

However, on the note of this sort of story...

When I was in 8th grade, on the first day of football tryouts...

I walk by this pole that's about 8 ft. tall. As I look at it in passing, I see a wasp land on the top and as he did that I stopped walking.
I stared at the pole and the wasp as the wasp sat down, turned his head back out towards the world and just sat still.

I felt like he was looking at me while I was looking at him.

I stood in that position for about 2 minutes (literally). (I find some insects to be interesting... just like the mantis. :D)

Well as soon as I was done looking at this wasp I turned around and started walking away. At the very moment I turned around I saw a blur fill my vision and land on my nose... I knew it was the wasp instantly.

Sure enough with in about 2 seconds of that sucker landing right on my nose I got stung.

I smacked my face and ran off... He got the better of me for sure. :ashamed: :lol:

Oh well... Just goes to show that mother nature's no flower child!
 
I've never been stung by a wasp or a bee. I have had several fly down my clothes but I always manage to let them out calmly. Strange.

I've been bitten in the ankle by a dog and stung by a jellyfish when I was much younger in Antigua. Apart from those, nothing springs to mind.
 
The deadly beast just before the attack!
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^ :lol: I recently fed a squirrel but luckily it was really friendly, otherwise I dont recommend doing that because you could get bit.
I was stung by bees a few times when I was younger.
 
I got attacked by a wild boar on a Catalina Island boar hunt. I've got the scars to prove it. It was my own stupid fault. I broke a very big boar hunting rule. Never go near a boar den.
 
I was sitting on the porch of a country store one time, a cat was there, it came close to me so I began to pet it, it let me and seemed content but all of a sudden it just went medievil on my hand! I was left with numerous scratches and not a fear of cats but a strong dislike for them.

BTW- How was that $600 camera you threw to the ground? I hope it's not broken.
 
skip0110
Solid Lifters wins the prize. Did you earn yourself a hospital trip too?
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Yep. And a helicopter ride, too. Lucky for me it only took a couple of staples to close the puncture wound.
 
GoKents
*snip*

I stood in that position for about 2 minutes (literally). (I find some incests to be interesting... just like the mantis. :D)

*snip*
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:yuck: :p

I've been stung a few times by wasps, most of the time due to my own stupidity. A turtle bit me once. And when I was younger (5 or 6 years old) a bumble bee stung my hand, it swelled up pretty nicely. 👍
 
Doing yard work will guarantee you bee stings. It particularly sucks when you are on a ladder, and they come out form under the eves and attack you. It's not like you can run....you just have to deal with it (ie swear a lot) as you climb down the ladder.
 
Com'n, a praying mantis? Not likes it would eat your face off or anything. :p

Once, when I was 2 or 3 years old, I saw a honey bee laying in the dirt, and since back then I didn't have a clue what it was (a "bug", for all I knew), I decided to pick it up and show it to my dad. Bad idea, of course (can't blame me though… I honestly had never seen a bee before). After walking with it for a couple seconds, I could feel a weird sensation in my thumb, and then it turned into searing pain. I quickly learned that those fuzzy yellow things with stripes aren't the greatest things to pick up. Never really phased me though – If a bee or wasp lands on me, I really don't care, and just let it wander around, eat my food if it insists, and let it fly off. I don't know why most people get all jittery and start flailing at the site of one.
 
Raptor65
BTW- How was that $600 camera you threw to the ground? I hope it's not broken.
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The camera looks a bit worse for wear, but it's fine. It's a Canon. They're indestructible. Famous last words!

skip0110
I nailed his tail with a pole, he ran, pulled it off (the tail!)
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That's just plain nasty!

skip0110
The first chipmunk bit me when I was trying to chase him out of the garage ... then ran around and bit my ankle.The 2nd time, I was holding one and was not careful; (s)he bit my hand
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Good! You got your just desserts there!

Sage
Com'n, a praying mantis? Not likes it would eat your face off or anything.
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Exactly, but it's amazing how your natural instincts react in the face of perceived danger. In this case a six inch long green insect going at you with it's spiky limbs!
 
chaser_fan
Exactly, but it's amazing how your natural instincts react in the face of perceived danger. In this case a six inch long green insect going at you with it's spiky limbs!
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Those aren't too common around here though, I'd probably freak out a bit if I ran into one. Maybe not run "away like a big girl," but still. :p
 
Sage
Com'n, a praying mantis? Not likes it would eat your face off or anything. :p

Once, when I was 2 or 3 years old, I saw a honey bee laying in the dirt, and since back then I didn't have a clue what it was (a "bug", for all I knew), I decided to pick it up and show it to my dad. Bad idea, of course (can't blame me though… I honestly had never seen a bee before). After walking with it for a couple seconds, I could feel a weird sensation in my thumb, and then it turned into searing pain. I quickly learned that those fuzzy yellow things with stripes aren't the greatest things to pick up. Never really phased me though – If a bee or wasp lands on me, I really don't care, and just let it wander around, eat my food if it insists, and let it fly off. I don't know why most people get all jittery and start flailing at the site of one.
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I have a friend who does exactly that, get all jittery and just freaks out if a bee is even in the room. It's hillarious to watch!

But if you want to avoid bee stings, don't start swinging at the bee, it will only make it more angry and increase the chance of being stung. Your best bet is to remain as still as possible, and just wait for it to fly away. But of course, if you are near a bee or wasp hive, there's pretty much nothing you can do about it other than run like hell (I learned that the hard way).
 
Ev0
I have a friend who does exactly that, get all jittery and just freaks out if a bee is even in the room. It's hillarious to watch!
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That's the kind of reaction I have most of the time. :indiff: I try to remain calm, but everytime I got stung, it was because I didn't notice the little bug in the first place...

My worst bug nightmare would be the Vespa mandarinia (Japanese giant hornet):

oosuzumebati.jpg
(the tiny little thing it's eating is a normal bee):scared:

manda2.jpg


These are up to 4.5 cm in length (5.5cm for the Queen). 30 of these can anihilate a colony of 30000 European bees in about 3 hours. They do not only sting (one, or very few stings may be enough to kill a human), but also spray venom. (Thought I'm not sure that it wasn't pheromones in the little movie I saw - The two guys and the cameramen, even while wearing protective suits just ran away from the nest after less than a minute. :p)

You bet Forrest would be running!
 
I've seen one of those before. OMG...I about **** myself when I saw it. I was gawking at it because of it's size and then it turned around and flew toward me. My dad was like we better get out of here...I was like **** yeah we should! I an like hell. Now if only that would be at my track meets. Sorry for my bad grammar. If I can find this thread again, I'll edit this post. I need to get back to school...Bye
 
I've been chased by Black Bears many times ( I am from northern ontario, canada ) And we lived pretty much in the bush, very close to blue berry "patches" which black bears relish, my black Lab saved my bacon about 3 or 4 times barking and distracting while I got outa the way.....3 times I accidently "scared" bears when they were eating the berries, they sit on their asss and scoop the food into their mouths just like humans, and they really aren't paying attention. Like I said, I've been chased, ( they've also run away too ) but my step father takes the cake, he's 4 foot 11 inches, and a bear stood up infront of him, did he run...no, he took off his baseball hat and swatted the bastard right in the nose, the bear nipped him on the leg and took off....it was scary at first, but funny as hell afterwards, the bear didn;t even break the skin of his leg, or break through his levi;s...just like a wanrning nip, and took off....

Good times in Northern Canada
 

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Not that big, if you look closely the mantis is sitting on the front left fender with one leg on the headlight and the back legs are on the bonnet line. I'd say around 10cm long. Chaserfan, can you confirm this?
 
My grandmother use to tell me to stay away from the praying mantis' in the back yard. She use to tell me they would jump out at your face or your eye. Ever since then i've avoided the mantis.
 
eddieturner2002
Not that big, if you look closely the mantis is sitting on the front left fender with one leg on the headlight and the back legs are on the bonnet line. I'd say around 10cm long. Chaserfan, can you confirm this?
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You're about right, yes.
 

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