Wildlife photography is one of the most popular and amazing niches in photography. There are a lot of species of animals and it never gets boring with wildlife photography. But this article is about a specific type of animal that you do not get to see up close every day.
They are Mantises. These small insects are very interesting due to their nature and appearances. They have earned their name as ‘praying mantises’ because of the structure of their front limbs. They are positioned in a bent position as if they were praying. But they are designed that way to be efficient in catching their prey by striking them at a very high speed.
There are many colors and designs to these mantises of their appearance and not many people have photographed and documented them. Meet Pang Way, a wildlife photographer who is very interested in photographing mantises. He has always been very keen on insects and small animals that do not get attention as the other commonly known animals do.
He has worked with National Geographic to explain why the mantis is one of the most interesting predators in the insect world. They are designed by nature to attack, capture, kill and consume other insects and smaller animals efficiently. Their heads turn around a huge angle of 180 degrees and they have multiple eyes to have a lookout on many areas than a usual animal.
These animals are also known for their cannibalism which can happen as capturing a meal or even during reproduction as well. The females sometimes eat the males during reproduction and that will enhance their egg quality and quantity. Even though it seems to be extreme, the world of mantises works in that way.
Leaving all the gruesome details aside, let us all take a look at these amazing creatures. Listed below are a set of photos that were taken by Way. His photos are being visited by a lot of people on the internet as well. You can scroll down and upvote your favorite mantises to the top and do not forget to share your ideas about this in the comments section.
More info & Photo courtesy: Pang Way