Praying Mantis Devours Hummingbird in Shocking Photo

National Geographic ^ | JUNE 16, 2017 | Shaena Montanari

[nickcarraway]

Well neat! Just got an email from a professor in Switzerland who wants to use one of my photographs as an illustration in a paper to be published in the "Wilson Journal of Ornithology!" Dr. Martin Nyffeler's paper, coauthored with two U.S. professors, is titled "Bird Predation by Praying Mantises: A Global Perspective." It appears that the lovely little hummingbirds that have just recently returned to our feeder are primary targets for those little insects: "Most reports (.70% of observed incidents) are from the USA, where mantids have often been seen capturing hummingbirds attracted to food sources in gardens, i.e., hummingbird feeders or hummingbird-pollinated plants. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) was the species most frequently reported to be captured by mantids>" I call this "You're next!"

[originalbuckeye]

I saw an absolutely creepy Criminal Minds episode where the Unsub was killing and eating people, acting like a praying mantis. I cannot think about praying mantises without thinking about that episode.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Ruby Throated makes sense, they are more common in areas with good mantis populations. Here in New Mexico, the most common hummers are Black Chinned, Broad Tailed, and Rufous with the occasional Anna’s and Calliope thrown in. However, I cannot recall the last time I saw a mantis here in the East Mountains (Manzanos and Sandias east of Albuquerque) Possibly too dry, or the lizards make short work of them.

[xp38]

Nature can be cruel.

[Magnatron]

The human version of the same:

[JPG]

Nature can be cruel.

Nature says: Ya gotta eat!

[fso301]

Pretty cool.

[muleskinner]

If you did, you "Better Call Saul".

Or Ehrmantraut. He can deal with low-life Mantids.

[FreedomStar3028]

No half measures, either.

Except that once.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Yes, it seriously cool. Check out these more exotic manti.

[muleskinner]

Dittos

[boomop1]

I have beheaded a few standing on my bird feeder

[RckyRaCoCo]

“I’ve got a mantis in my pantis!”

[Fai Mao]

I have applauded them standing on our banana plants catching banana skipper moths and also eating the 3 1/2 inch long caterpillars.

There are no humming birds here. Thanks to the tree snakes there are not many birds of any kind

[boomop1]

Snakes got birds a long time ago, I flew many missions out of Guam in the early 70s.

[Seruzawa]

They are insects. They’ll kill and eat anything they are capable of killing. They can’t be reasoned with. They can’t be bargained with. And they absolutely WILL NOT STOP until you are dead!

[ColdOne]

Cool!

[Rusty0604]

This is your photograph they are talking about in the article?

[lgjhn23]

“....They are insects. They’ll kill and eat anything they are capable of killing. They can’t be reasoned with. They can’t be bargained with. And they absolutely WILL NOT STOP until you are dead!...”

Yeah, libs are something else. It’s a mental disease.

[jmacusa]

The Ruby Throat is the only Hummingbird species east of The Mississippi. We get them here on The Jersey Shore. Cute little buggers. I have Praying Mantis's in my garden. Never seen one take a Hummingbird but they're hell on Japanese beetles.