‘Gigantic’ Praying Mantis Hilariously ‘Terrorises’ New York City Train

0 Shares
Praying Mantis ThumbCameron Frew

As someone with a paralysing fear of bugs, the idea of a gigantic insect accompanying me on my commute home is less than desirable. 

Advertisements

New York City subway-goers endured my nightmare recently, when a massive praying mantis joined passengers for the ride.

NYC Councilman Keith Powers tweeted a photo of it:

Advertisements

Powers captioned the photo: ‘Like most New Yorkers, I’m frightened by the gigantic praying mantis on the subway but also relieved that he didn’t yell ‘It’s showtime!’

Some people replying to the tweet said they also find the insect creepy, while others wish the mantis well and hope it gets back to a tree branch somewhere.

Praying mantes are carnivorous insects that belong to the family Mantidae – there are about 2,000 species of mantids. They feed on beetles, butterflies, spiders, crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, and other mantes – yes, they’re cannibals, and capable of taking down prey three times their size.

They are a common pet for insect enthusiasts, capable of living up to one year with proper care and food – it’s recommended you feed them an assortment of live insects.

Advertisements
Praying MantisPA

Camouflage is key to their survival, with their green and brown colours keeping them hidden from birds.

According to The Pest Control Blog, praying mantes ‘strike twice as fast as a blink of an eye’ and ‘will slowly devour the unfortunate prey slowly with its ultra sharp mandibles’. They will bite humans if provoked, but they’re not venomous and will cause little harm.

If you want to see a praying mantis in action out in the wild, check out the video below:

Advertisements

As a prime insect predator, they’re a gardener’s best friend – aided by their triangular heads that turn 180 degrees and large eyes, they help keep down the population of bugs which are a threat to farming.

Here’s another wonderful praying mantis fact for you, courtesy of The Pest Control Blog:

Females of some praying mantis species will actually eat the male when mating with a male. After the male performs a complex mating dance, the female will bite the head or legs off the male during the mating act.

Unlike Ken Brockman, I absolutely do not welcome our new insect overlords.

If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via [email protected]