While out performing Pest Control Services in Orange County one of our state licensed technicians discovered a Southern Californian Praying Mantis He was able to gather some videos and pictures that I think a lot of people would find interesting due to how rare it is that they are found. We know they are out there but can you recall the last time you saw a real life live one?
Southern California Praying Mantis Video
Mantises have two grasping, spiked forelegs (“raptorial legs”) in which prey items are caught and held securely. In most insect legs, including the posterior four legs of a mantis, the coxa and trochanter combine as an inconspicuous base of the leg; in the raptorial legs however, the coxa and trochanter combine to form a segment about as long as the femur, which is a spiky part of the grasping apparatus. Located at the base of the femur are a set of discoidal spines, usually four in number, but ranging from zero to as many as five depending on the species. These spines are preceded by a number of tooth-like tubercles, which, along with a similar series of tubercles along the tibia and the apical claw near its tip, give the foreleg of the mantis its grasp on its prey. The foreleg ends in a delicate tarsus made of between four and five segments and ending in a two-toed claw with no arolium and used as a walking appendage.
If you have seen an interesting bug or insect please don’t hesitate to send us a story or a couple images! We love to hear our peoples stories about bugs! Contact us today about any awesome story you might have and we will place it on the blog!