Praying Mantis
Preying Mantis When I began as a nature photographer, it was macro photography that first captured my attention. I photographed flowers and bugs most of the time, preferably with both in the same photo. As my fascination with bird photography has developed, I less frequently have my macro lens with me. This photo was actually taken with my 400mm lens. I just could not resist his gaze. Incidentally, the Praying Mantis is actually a lesson in linguistics as well. When you hear the name, do you think "praying" or "preying?" Both spellings reveal something about the mantis--the first it's posture, and the second its behavior. The pronunciation is identical with either spelling, but the meaning changes with the spelling and both meanings are appropriate to the term. I found out this is called an "eggcorn." Nature has given us a lesson in linguistics.