The praying mantis is a bizarre creature. It makes very swift movements but can strike with lightning speed. I met a mantis when I was in 7th grade but never dared to get close. It's not very rare to see a mantis but really exciting.
I encountered another mantis this year (2020). Like the year itself, the mantis is also a unique and weird one. Look at how it danced on Russian Gopnik music-
That obviously did not happen.
On 12th May,2020, after a rain evening, I went to my balcony to breath some fresh air. I spotted a green bug clinging onto the net near the Neem plant. It was a small praying mantis, didn't even have wings. I took a photo and forgot about it.
Few days after I spotted it on the neem plant, I saw it again. It had choosen to stay and had grown bigger.
Gopnik Mantis
Tucked away in the fragrant flowers of Neem and surrounded by ants, it looked like an alien monkey.
The following day, I tried feeding the pulp of grapes to it. I had tried feeding raisins to a St.Andrew's cross spider too so I though I'd try the same with this lad. I broke a thorny twig from the lemon plant and stuck the piece of pulp on that. As I brought it closer, the mantis moved away, but when it touched its mouth, It started licking the juice. I was surprised to see the carnivorous insect was eating fruits!
Mantis licking grape juice off its hands
Mantis eating grapes
It is not natural for mantis to eat fruits, but I was curious. So, I also tried sticking a piece of mango on that thorny twig and offering it. Tada! it ate it right away.
Mantis eating mango!
On the next day, 17th May, It hunted its first prey- first hunt that I saw. The unlucky insect happened to be a black bug with a hard chitinous shell. They often roam on the lemon plant which is right beside the Neem plant. When I came with my eyepiece and phone, it froze for a while and stared at the camera from the side of the eyes. You can see in the video.
Mantis eats a bug
After a wholesome first meal the mantis was more active. It started doing kung-fu and chasing my finger.
Mantis doing kung-fu
Mantis tries to catch my finger
It was 28th May. More than 10 days since the mantis ate that small bug. It was becoming weak. I hesitantly offered a piece of papaya (I am a vegetarian, so feeding meat insects was not an option for me). It didn't go for it this time, but when I shook the piece vigorously after every few seconds to mimic an insect, it caught the mantis' attention. When the Papaya touched the mantis' mouth it started nibbling like a hungry lion. I can never tell what is going on in their head, or if they can even think.
Mantis eats Papaya!
Finally, on 31st May, the Mantis hunted a big insect. I don't know what it was, looked like some sort of stink bug. It gained a lot of weight after feeding and just stayed at one place. The wings started appearing.
Mantis eats a bug
On June 6th, its wings had gotten bigger, but they were still too small to be used for flight. I picked up the mantis on my hand. I was afraid it would pinch me so I used a cloth.
June 9th was the last day I spotted it on the Neem plant. Unfortunately, I couldn't document its whole growth.
