One the the advantages of living in a jungle within a city state is I got visited by all sorts of rare animals .
In 2004, on separate occasions two of these never seen before golden praying mantises came to my house and created quite a sensation. My friend, a nature society education liaised with an insect scientist. To his knowledge, he had not seen a golden praying mantis and was very keen to study it. But not before I took it to schools to show this to my children and teachers.
All the kids, (local Singaporeon and Interntional ones enjoyed looking at them. The Scientist took the one we named Goldie and later conjectured that it was
mutated from the ordinary praying mantise. It adapted to the colour gold from the tree that bloomed golden blossoms just outside my balcony. Goldie was a girl.
After Goldie went to be a science candidate, the kids from the campus were disappointed. Not long after, another came. I fed it with cricket bought from the pet fish shop. The scientist had hope that Magdeline would attract a male and perhaps we could breed it. Sadly Magadeline didn't survive. I immoralised her in a setting agent. Unfortunately, the agent beached Magadeline of this gold colour.
I posted it to the Nanyangconnect website with scientific literature, but they no longer keep the postings on archive.
Subsequently, I had green praying mantises.
***Chrissy and Alicia admiring Goldie. This is an experience they would take home to Canada and America***
A green baby praying mantis came to my teaching space window. I caught it and displayed it in a clear plastic cup. Kids love it.
1 comment:
I love the praying mantis, many in my garden. Interesting story, Ann.
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