Prey of the Praying Mantis
Location: Biggsville, Il.
October 9, 2011 7:07 am
I was going to post this to your general comment site but there wasn’t any place for a picture. I took this Tues. Oct. 4th. I assume this was the last Hummingbird in the garden. I have had quite a few Praying Mantises in the garden this year and many butterflies fell prey to them but when I saw this Hummingbird in it’s grasp I was truly amazed. I’d heard stories but only thought they were campfire stories much like a Hummingbird flying south on a gooses back.
Signature: Randy Anderson
Preying Mantis eats Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Dear Randy,
We are truly honored that you have submitted your amazing Food Chain images to our website. We would strongly urge you to post a comment to our posting in the event that anyone out there in cyberspace is interested in using your images for some purpose in the future. We cannot stop internet piracy and we realize there are many folks with questionable ethics that might try to steal your images. As least we do not post the high resolution images and people are only able to easily grab the thumbnails. While we are certain that your photos may horrify some of our sensitive readers because Hummingbirds are so beloved, they also represent the possibilities that occur in nature. Perhaps the Hummingbird was old or feeble. A large female Preying Mantis is a formidable hunter and her raptorial front legs have a strong grasp. We also have an image buried in our archives of a Golden Orbweaver that captured and fed upon a Hummingbird. Thanks again for allowing us to share your images with our readership.
Preying Mantis eats Ruby Throated Hummingbird
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Early Worm Gets the Bird
Location: S. Illinois
May 11, 2011 5:56 pm
The first Cicada of the season gets got by a Brown Thrasher.
Not sure if this is an annual or periodical cicada, we’re due for Brood XIX 13 year periodicals any time now.
Signature: Bert
Brown Thrasher eating something
Hi Bert,
The insect in your photo appears to have mandibles for chewing, unlike the piercing and sucking mouthparts of a Cicada. We would be more inclined to identify the prey in this photo as a Beetle Grub.
Pretty sure it is a Cicada nymph, and what you’re seeing as mandibles is actually one of the weird clamp-claws that cicada nymphs have. Also, the color is more consistent with a cicada nymph than with most beetle grubs.
Hi Again Bert,
Thanks for the clarification. Photos can be quite deceptive, and you were the actual observer and you know what a Cicada looks like. Thanks again for sending us your wonderful photograph.
30 May 2010
Last week I postponed the trimming of the carob tree because of a Hummingbird. The female Hummingbird (I’m not sure what species because all Hummingbird females look similar) built a walnut sized nest at the tip of a carob tree branch overhanging Killarney Avenue.
Then she abandoned the nest, or did she? I know hummingbirds have complex mating rituals where males high dive and stop creating a whistling sound in the tail feathers. The hummingbird nest is composed of spider webs and lined with feathers. I wonder if Anna’s Hummingbird has a symbiotic relationship with any spider species? The female Anna’s Hummingbird may be the realtor in the family. She finds the best territory near a food source and defends her nest and territory against all other females. She may choose her mate based on how fast he flies and how loud he whistles his tail feathers.
Hummingbird on Nest
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¶ Posted 30 May 2010 § ‡ ° Spider with hummingbird
Hey Bugman,
Like everybody else I love this site!! I came home from work yesterday and saw this carnage outside my bedroom window. I had been watching this Golden-Orb Weaver (I call it the zig-zag spider) for days but was shocked at the attached picture. As I lifted the shade to get a better look at the female ruby throated hummingbird I also saw a poor cicada was also trapped in the spiders web. Needless to say this spider will not be hungry for many days. Just thought you might enjoy this picture. Didn’t know if you had ever seen anything like this before. This all took place in College Station, Texas.
Donell S. Frank
Hi Donell,
We are a bit nervous to post your photos (though that won’t stop us) because we fear that they might bring about the demise of numerous Black and Yellow Orb Weavers, Argiope aurantia. This is a most unusual catch for this regal spider, and we know that the nature loving public has a particular fondness for hummingbirds. Nonetheless, this is quite an amazing documentation. Thank you so much for sending the images our way.
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