# Entomologists, draw near and your answers will be humbly requested. What the heck is this thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 31, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310 "2016-10-31T22:38:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/1 "2016-10-31T22:38:58Z")
We live on the top floor of a three-story building, and earlier today we heard the maintenance man on the roof, where he was evidently sweeping detritus out of the gutters and elsewhere. He’s still there now, about six hours later. As a result whatever he’s been doing, this [insect](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5704/30609561711_a5f2dd4f96_o_d.jpg), [this](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5704/30609561711_a5f2dd4f96_o_d.jpg) _[thing](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5617/30063740463_6ee406d5e3_o_d.jpg)_ landed on our balcony. We didn’t see it arrive so we don’t know if it landed there under its own power, or if fell from the roof. My wife found it alive and killed it with roach spray. What could it be? To me it looks like a mantis or grasshopper, or something related to one of those groups. It also looks like it has evolved to resemble a piece of eucalyptus bark, or possibly a dead leaf. We do have a large eucalyptus outside near the balcony. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/2 "2016-10-31T22:47:22Z")
It’s a dead leaf praying mantis. Lots of mantis species have elaborate camouflage schemes. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/3 "2016-10-31T22:47:30Z")
I’m not an entomologist, but that’s got to me a member of the mantis family. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/4 "2016-10-31T22:53:09Z")
Most definitely a female praying mantis. I can understand the alarm by it’s sudden appearance, but they are one of the good bugs - no need to snuff them out next time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/5 "2016-11-01T00:36:56Z")
Your links open as a jpg that Firefox wants to download, not as a link to view them online. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/6 "2016-11-01T00:43:21Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Your links open as a jpg that Firefox wants to download, not as a link to view them online. Same on my Android phone. I don’t want to download them, just view them. I trust you, but I don’t like things to be overly complicated. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/7 "2016-11-01T05:04:31Z")
And they are huge… I resized them just to see them. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/8 "2016-11-01T07:29:48Z")
Would they be harmful to pets? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/9 "2016-11-01T07:58:25Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Would they be harmful to pets? Only if you have a pet grasshopper. Completely harmless, non-venomous and non-toxic - at worst they might give you an innocuous pinch/bite if you harassed it. However if you are a bug they are a terrifying killing machine. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/10 "2016-11-01T12:01:39Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > However if you are a bug they are a terrifying killing machine. Or, if you happen to be a horney male of the same species… ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/11 "2016-11-01T12:17:41Z")
When I see an unfamiliar bug, the first thing I grab is my “Insects around the house in pictures”-book. Not roach spray. I think it is kind of sad that the " Nuke 'm!" attitude is so common. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/12 "2016-11-01T13:16:58Z")
I agree, **Maastricht**. Praying mantises are one of the coolest bugs! And they eat icky bugs! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/13 "2016-11-01T13:33:58Z")
Yeah, I got the download thing, too. It seems to happen occasionally, and I’m not sure why: JPEG should be a format that a web browser knows how to handle on its own. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/14 "2016-11-02T14:40:20Z")
Wrong thread! ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-draw-near-and-your-answers-will-be-humbly-requested-what-the-heck-is-this-thing/770310/15 "2016-11-02T17:22:12Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > However if you are a bug they are a terrifying killing machine. I had a mantis as a pet for a while and fed it flies that I caught outside. It would catch the flies, bite off the legs and wings, then eat the body, saving the head for last. The fly was alive for a disturbing portion of this process. So, yes… a \*saidistic \*terrifying killing machine.