Much has transpired since my last post exactly a month ago.
First, a bit of foreshadowing. This is Stubby, a quadruped Anisomorpha buprestoides (two stripped walkingstick) I found in the wild (A. buprestoides specimens are not usually quadrupeds). More on these horrible two stripped walkingsticks later.
I have also been doing some photography with my iPhone; here are some closeups of a couple of dragonflies.
I found a black-and-yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) in our backyard and gave it a katydid. I also picked it up and let it crawl around on my hands, which it bit repeatedly and fruitlessly, but was unable to get a picture of that.
The bagworm moth my Aunt and Uncle gave me finally emerged--I came home from school to a unproportionally loud buzzing sound coming from such a small moth!
Now to the meat of this post: mantises. You'll notice the first subject of the title is "Opiliones Chemical Power." This is because I tried to feed a Leiobunum flavum to Hulk, and this is what resulted.
...when the harvestman decided to abandon ship. Opiliones never were considered champion fighters.
Now to the second part of the title.
A couple of days ago, Hulk died. She laid her eggs (ootheca), and, her purpose completed, slipped away. Here are some pictures of her in her weakened state, along with the hope of a new generation represented in the ootheca.
Moving on.
A teacher generously donated a hundred head of superworms with which to feed my mantises. Both Hulk and Yoda loved them (RIP Hulk), and here is a video of Hulk munching away on one. Why include such a gory scene, you might ask. Notice the behavior of the other superworms, which crowded around Hulk's dripping raptorial forearms, trying to get a bite out of their deceased friend. Not to worry; sweet karma awaits them immediately after Hulk finishes up with superworm number 1.
On the note of goriness, notice the similarities between this picture of Yoda devouring a Plusiinae inchworm and Francisco Goya's Saturn Devouring His Son.
By Francisco Goya,
Public Domain,
wikimedia commons
Odd, isn't it? Or maybe I'm just making this up.
And now we get to the last part of the title: "Brutal, Unprovoked Stick Insect Attack." Yesterday evening, as dusk faded into dreary darkness, I was strolling along in my own backyard, minding my own business, when a vicious monster spewed acid into my face. Fortunately, I was able to escape with my wallet and my life, but it was a close call. The authorities are out looking for the suspect: such unprovoked attacks are unacceptable. Here is the video that I took as the horrible monster ambushed me and tried to take my life, all while I was totally minding my own business.
The family of the assailant, who was a two striped walkingstick (the same as Stubby), has tried to justify the insect's unjustifiable behavior. The stick, they say, was used to provoke the poor lady into attacking me. Obviously that is not true: the stick was employed only in self defense. Also, they have asked why I was videoing instead of running, and the simple answer is, I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and not offend her by being wary. I know you'll believe me.
See you next time.
