FROM FIELD AND STUDY Praying Mantis preying on Initially the victim beat its wings Vertebrates - An observation of a frantically in an endeavour to praying mantis killing and escape. Almost immediately two partially eating a Brown or three other Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistinca) Honeyeaters, one thought to be at the tourist resort of El Questro its mate, attacked the praying Station, off the Gibb River Road mantis. It was at this stage 1 was in the East Kimberley region of called to the scene from nearby Western Australia is reported. and alerted to what was Three other records of praying happening. mantises eating vertebrates in The mantis, unaffected by the Western Australia are also attacks by the other honeyeaters included. held on to its prey very securely. While acting as a tour guide with About one minute after capture, Coate’s Wildlife Tours, and the trapped honeyeater ceased to camped at El Questro Station, a struggle and hung lifelessly in Brown Honeyeater was observed the mantis’ grasp. It appeared to being caught, killed and partially be dead. The praying mantis then eaten by a praying mantis, which proceeded to remove all feathers was green in colour and 80 to from the throat of the 100mm in length. Photos were honeyeater with its mouth and taken and sent to the Western began to eat the flesh. After Australian Museum, however about one hour from the initial identification of the species has capture, 1 left the scene, but not been possible. These types of returned at 10-minute intervals incidents have been rarely to observe and note the recorded in the past. The follow¬ situation. At one stage it ing observations were made on appeared to be sucking the the 17 July 2003 from approxi¬ contents from the head. The mately 12.30pm to 2.00pm. position of both the honeyeater and the mantis did not change at Whilst observing two Brown all during this time, with the Honeyeaters feeding in a mantis continuing to hold on to flowering Grevillea agrifolia, two the honeyeater with its forelegs members of the tour group, as it fed. Attacks by the other Brenda and Graeme Smith, saw a honeyeaters decreased as time large green praying mantis, progressed. However, one bird, which was waiting motionless in presumed to be the victim’s mate the foliage suddenly seize one of continued to fly around in an the honeyeaters. The mantis agitated state and remained in caught the honeyeater by its the same tree during the entire head in its right foreleg and episode. appeared to be injecting the other foreleg into the bird. Approximately one and a half 247 hours after capture the remains Another incident occurred about of the honeyeater were found 10.30am in June 2001. Jan Lewis, lying at the base of the tree. The Helen McArthur and Johnny head and neck had been severed Schoenjahn released a Red- from the body and on close backed Fairy-wren (Malurus examination all the flesh melanocephalus) weighing 6.7gms including the eyes, but not the caught that day from their tongue, had been removed. 1 banding station in the noted that the contents of the mangroves at the mouth of skull had also been completely Willie Creek north of Broome. removed. The body did not The bird went off without any appear to have been touched, hesitation. However they were and the backbone, bare of flesh, alerted a minute or two later by was protruding from the top of the sound of a number of wrens the body. calling when previously none Unfortunately, 1 did not keep had been sighted or heard. There the dead bird for further were at least eight Red-backed investigation. After searching for and Variegated Fairy-Wrens (M. several minutes, the mantis was lamberti) hopping through the located in almost the same mangroves in great excitement position, blending so well with and for a moment or two their the leaves that it was almost attention focused on them. They impossible to see it amongst the then realised the released bird foliage. was in trouble. It was hanging from its neck, fluttering its Through discussion with others 1 have become aware of two other wings and appeared to be caught unpublished incidents where in a twig. To their amazement, on praying mantises have caught close inspection, the twig proved and eaten (or attempted to eat) to be a large praying mantis, vertebrates. At Dampier in the which had the wren in its front Pilbara in about 1990, Tom Moore legs. Both the wren and the of Busselton recollected seeing a praying mantis were then praying mantis eating an captured. The praying mantis unidentified freshly captured weighed 7.5gms and was almost frog. In 1999, at "Kingston Rest" 10 cms long (98mm from head to in the East Kimberley, Caroline tail). Both the wren and the Garstone investigated ‘dreadful praying mantis were then screams coming from a frog in released. The wren appeared to their garden' and discovered a have sustained some damage to praying mantis in a tree that had one eye but flew off strongly and captured a Green Tree Frog was re-trapped a year later, still in (Litoria caerulea). The praying good condition, with no mantis, which was holding the apparent damage to the eye. frog with its forelegs, was eating The literature refers to praying it while it was still alive. mantises having previously been 248 recorded eating vertebrates in I would like to thank Brenda and Australia. In one reference by Graeme Smith for their help in David Renee (1996) on p.242 in recalling events and Wynton Grasshopper Country, the Abundant Maddeford for his help in Orthopteroid Insects of Australia locating other relevant (p.242), the mantis involved information including the Red- belonged to the genus Hierodula, backed Fairy-wren article. Also a genus "containing a large, thanks to Jan Lewis, Helen robust species that have been McArthur, and Johnny known to feed on small Schoenjahn for allowing me to vertebrates". Balderson (1991) in quote from their article. Special Chapter 21 (p.351) in The Insects of thanks to Kevin and Yvonne Australia refers to some larger Coate for their help and species of mantises that have encouragement to prepare this been recorded feeding on frogs, article and to John Dell for small lizards and fledgling birds. editing it for publication. - STEVE DALE, P.O. Box 2235, Broome, WA, 6725. 249