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What hunting methods does a praying mantis use to catch food?

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What hunting methods does a praying mantis use to catch food?

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Ry, New Hampshire, USA She stands squarely on her stable four-point foundation, hidden among leaves, and lurking in ambush. Her formidable hunting aids compound eyes and spring-loaded, raptorial upper legs festooned with spikes ready for the strike. Photo courtesy of Shiva Shankar and Wikipedia, taken in southern India. A: A small red caterpillar crawls blithely across the great, green expanse of leaf, unaware of the killing machine he nears. The praying mantis, poised, also on the leaf, her camouflaged four twig-like legs spread out for stability, watches intently. The end of her green abdomen curls up for balance; her forelimbs are cocked, ironically indicating prayer. She leans toward the caterpillar. She sways slightly like a leaf in a gentle breeze. Her great triangular head swings on the stubby neck, tracking the clueless caterpillar. “The neck is quite short, but unusually flexible so the head can turn,” emails entomologist John Meyer, professor at North Carolina State Universit

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