When I think of a praying mantis I think of the female insect that’s renowned for eating its own mate. But this sweet story shared by brownham on Imgur just might turn some heads and make you think a little bit differently about the insect. Meet Bug, a praying mantis raised as a pet and loved by her human…
“This is Bug. I took care of her for about 6 months.”
“She started out really little”
“Her first molt”
“Majestic as f*ck”
“The little cages housed her food.”
“Eating a delicious thing”
“Outdoor field trip”
“Chilling in a house plant”
“She came out of this molt with a bent in half body. She moved around and ate just fine, and after her next molt she was fine.”
“She had wing buds after this molt, I was so excited!”
“Cutie Patootie”
“Bug was an awesome pet. She was super tame and would hang with me or stay on a house plant and not run/fly away. When she was super little I bought fruit flies from the pet store, and after she grew some I would catch flies and moths every night. She eventually laid an egg sack and then died about a week later. As is tradition.”
Female praying mantises die shortly after laying eggs, whether they are fertilized or not. In the case of Bug, hers were unfertilized.
There you have it! Not your typical pet to have at home, but Bug was no less loved by her human who certainly looked after her well and nurtured her for the short time she was here. As they say, “to each their own.”
Share this unusual pet story with your family and friends!
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