A very immature Giant Asian Mantis (Hierodula patellifera), a species commonly seen on Maui, hunting ants on the leaf of a Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica), lower Pulehu Road, south Maui.
A very immature Giant Asian Mantis (Hierodula patellifera), a species commonly seen on Maui, hunting ants on the leaf of a Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica), lower Pulehu Road, south Maui. Gardeners consider mantises to be desirable insects, as they prey upon many harmful insect species. However, mantises prey on neutral and beneficial insects as well, indiscriminately eating anything they can capture and devour. Mantises are very visual creatures and notice disturbances in their immediate vicinity. This one was visibly bothered by the intrusive lens of my camera; his facial "expression" seems to imply a question like "WTF?"
A very immature Giant Asian Mantis (Hierodula patellifera), a species commonly seen on Maui, hunting ants on the leaf of a Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica), lower Pulehu Road, south Maui.
A very immature Giant Asian Mantis (Hierodula patellifera), a species commonly seen on Maui, hunting ants on the leaf of a Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica), lower Pulehu Road, south Maui. This little fellow tolerated my camera lens intruding on his hunting foray, but she kept her compound eyes rolled back on her head to watch for hostile moves on my part. She was aware of me but seemed in no hurry to run off.
A very immature Giant Asian Mantis (Hierodula patellifera), a species commonly seen on Maui, hunting ants on the leaf of a Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica), lower Pulehu Road, south Maui. This little fellow tolerated my camera lens intruding on his hunting foray, but she kept her compound eyes rolled back on her head to watch for hostile moves on my part. She was aware of me but seemed in no hurry to run off.
A very immature Giant Asian Mantis (Hierodula patellifera), a species commonly seen on Maui, hunting ants on the leaf of a Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica), lower Pulehu Road, south Maui. This little fellow tolerated my camera lens intruding on his hunting foray, but she kept her compound eyes rolled back on her head to watch for hostile moves on my part. She was aware of me but seemed in no hurry to run off.
A very immature Giant Asian Mantis (Hierodula patellifera), a species commonly seen on Maui, hunting ants on the leaf of a Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica), lower Pulehu Road, south Maui. This little fellow tolerated my camera lens intruding on his hunting foray, but she kept her compound eyes rolled back on her head to watch for hostile moves on my part. She was aware of me but seemed in no hurry to run off.
See photo in original gallery.