WATCH: Praying mantis eats a murder hornet’s face, becomes Twitter’s new hero
Related Seed: Asian Giant Hornet Invasion Becomes Latest 2020 Concern.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Turns out, the Praying Mantis can prey on murder hornets. imv/iStock
Say your prayers, murder hornets.
As if the coronavirus pandemic weren’t enough to give people nightmares this year, headlines about giant Asian “murder hornets” landing in the U.S. for the first time have had some people musing that the end is nigh.
The flying, meat-eating insects that grow more than 2 inches long can kill up to 50 people a year in Japan, and are known to decimate bee hives.
But all hope is not yet lost: tales of plucky bugs fighting back have been gaining a lot of buzz on social media.
A pretty gory video of a praying mantis grabbing a murder hornet from behind, and then chewing its face off and eating its brain, has gone viral across Twitter , Facebook, and reddit, leading “praying mantis” to trend on Twitter on Thursday
Watch it here, but be warned that it’s pretty graphic.
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A pretty gory video of a praying mantis grabbing a murder hornet from behind, and then chewing its face off and eating its brain, has gone viral across Twitter , Facebook, and reddit, leading “praying mantis” to trend on Twitter on Thursday
I'm just glad that Praying Mantises aren't 5 or 6 feet tall!
I’m glad there aren't any insects that are 5’-6’ tall lol.
Are you kidding? That would be awesome!!! I'd be an exterminator with an automatic shotgun and a samurai sword! Oh! And hand grenades! Can't forget those! And Praying Mantises as sidekicks!
There was an old 1957 SciFi movie of a giant praying mantis...."The Deadly Mantis" The sucker was the size of a 53' tandem trailer semi!
SPOILER ALERT: (they killed it by trapping it in a tunnel and spraying lots of RAID inside)
Wow that is amazing! It gives me some hope that mother nature can take care of itself here. The video was actually really cool.
It is indeed pretty graphic, but, natures diners are not always well mannered. That 'murder' hornet didn't have much of a chance against that mantis. There is not much that does.
If I remember my biology.... a Mantis will eat anything that doesn't have a chance to eat it first.
They need to put PM's near every hive.
Mantis are nasty creatures. Got bit by one once.
My dog got too curious about one once. Just once. His poor nose.
Ha. I was an idiot kid and thought oh cool, look. And tried to pick it up.
Uhh...lesson learned. After working out in my garden I was in the kitchen getting ready to prep dinner, when I felt something in my hair. I patted around the area where I felt something, but, didn't feel anything. But, I kept feeling something moving around in my hair. So I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. There, starring back at me was a large praying mantis. I reached my hand up to touch it and it grabbed at my hand so I jerked it away.
So...now...how do I get this thing, that has decided to make my hair its home, to leave. I go outside and, using a large spoon, raked it through my hair and felt sure that would chase it away. I go back inside and looked in the mirror and there it was, still looking back at me. Grr!!
So.....this time I decided to wash my hair, grabbed some shampoo and headed outside. I grabbed the hose and washed away, thinking that it was sure to get the homesteader to leave. After drying my hair I still felt some movement and looking in the mirror again, the bugger was STILL there. I bragged my comb and ran outside, ran the comb through my hair, with was no easy deal as my hair was below my waist at the time, and when I finished and went inside to look in the mirror, I found the little green mantis rascal was finally no longer in my hair. However, looking closer.....it was now perched on my comb! But, this time comb and all went into the trash can and the lid secured.
Finally....my mantis menace marched away.
Now, you might want to keep a mantis in your hair. A bodyguard against murder hornets.
I came across one in my garden when I was pulling weeds. He seemed as curious about me as I was him/her. The mantis just sat on a rock and kept me company although it was not much of a conversationalist.
Lol it was no doubt curious... curious what you tasted like
It probably thought "I'm gonna need help eating that face."
They are quite curious critters, and not afraid of anything. If you don't provoke them they won't bother you.
You may be right. I think I will get me a cap and make a fort out of it for the mantis to hang out in instead of in my hair. I'll put a little sign on the cap that says, "Beware! Praying Mantis On Duty!"
Is that also a cure for a bee in the bonnet?
If it can take on a murder hornet, I'm sure it can handle a bee.
I pick them up all the time, usually to get them out of range of the cats. Never have bitten me but i'll admit that their talons feel a tad creepy when they crawl up my arm.
Me, too. Of course that was before I knew they were face-eaters and people biters.
Yeah, I would not be picking them up, especially if they get past the little size.
I hope to see Praying Mantises in my garden again this year.
They hang out every year in the shrubs next to my front steps.
I used to bring in their eggs since they are so good at population control. One year I met up with one in the garden and no joke, it was 7 inches long. It looked at me, reared up and opened its mouth. I decided that maybe I need to relocate.
But that tells you the huge amount of bugs they eat in your garden and the natural benefit they are.
The family is back this year. I'm glad they're helping eat bugs, but kinda bummed that this one is munching on a firefly.
I love praying mantisses. I've wanted to get a few for my flower beds
Some Seed companies sell the eggs, They hatch and you will have some Praying Mantis. I got them a few years ago
Do they eat white flies?
I don't know if praying Mantis eat whiteflies; they are very small. Whiteflies were the worst pests I ever had in the garden.
They annoy my gardenia. But I may not have a gardenia anymore. Mr Giggles went a little crazy with the trimming shears. All he left were bare branches
I do as well. However, some tend to get a bit too friendly. I don't mind them getting on my clothes, but, I don't like them in my hair. My hair is well past my knees and it is really hard to try and coax them out of my hair when they don't want to go.
When I had my very large garden they were really a big help in keeping the worms and bugs in control. I really dislike the dang tomato worms. They are so ugly and really damage the plants. But, they are no match for the mantis.
I hate tomato worms. They look like something from a horror movie
I've watched one eat a lunar moth before. Started at the head and worked its way through.
I bet life at the lower end of the food chain must be a real bitch.
Again.... from my memory of biology.... The female eating the male during sex is suppose to aid in copulation by the male.
Talk about a once in a lifetime orgasm!
Human females excel at mental torture
Something about those two "x" chromosomes......!
I tried to look up the amount of force their mandibles can generate. At that scale, it has to be incredible.