Mantis

Mantis The Malaysian forest bears fruit of disguise. That powdery translucent pink circles the orchid mantis’ frame, measuring at six centimeters, about the size of an adult pinky finger. Her two black and clear patterned antennae pierce the sky. Her grayish-purple oddly almond of sight is dotted with a tiny speck of black. Between them is a dewy yellow pyramid. Her tightly clasped mouth is paired with bony and thick whisker-like tongs. She is twice the size of her male counterpart, between two and a half and three centimeters long. She has two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs. The two in front are claw-like forks gummed with teeth. Their tails are erect and in the shape of a tightly wrapped rose bud. The female has six abdominal parts, and the male has eight, shaped like a leaf. The four hind legs are slanted on an angle like that of a grasshopper. Her lifespan is no more than eight months as compared to her male counterpart, who lives five to six months. The orchid mantis poses ever so gently and still on a silky green leaf. She then climbs atop a hairy pink bloom. Her faux nectar and pollen spark curiosity. A black- winged warrior draws in close. The flapping and the buzzing are gratifying to the mantis. In a nosy prayer position, she preys on the weak. The mantis leans forward and extends her claw-like trap and tightens her grip. The darkness disappears into the thick fog. She is a flower’s defense for months. Marckincia Jean Narrative 96/25/19