Look Away Now!

I saw the honeybee first, lying in an awkward position on a Borage leaf. When I zoomed in to see what it was doing I suddenly noticed the praying mantis. It was so well camouflaged that I could have missed it.

The poor bee was still alive, struggling against certain death. The mantis had it firm in its powerful front legs, its jaw-like right leg holding the bee's body, while the left was clamped across the lower abdomen to prevent the bee from using its sting.

I was interested to see the mantis's front feet. The lower segment of the front legs are very thin and are used for walking. When not in use they fold back along the next segment. You can see the feet protruding beyond the "elbows."

More detail in large.

New Zealand praying mantis, Orthodera novaezealandiae, and honeybee, Apis mellifera.