{"id":134431,"date":"2024-09-12T02:46:54","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T07:46:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=134431"},"modified":"2025-09-12T06:38:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T11:38:16","slug":"carolina-mantis-photos-and-the-story-behind-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/09\/12\/carolina-mantis-photos-and-the-story-behind-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Carolina Mantis Photos And The Story Behind Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, I spotted and photographed my first Carolina Mantis here in Arkansas. If not for my keen eyesight, I would never have seen the mantis at all.<\/p>\n

\"CarolinaCarolina Mantis close up \u2013 Canon R7, f9, 1\/640, ISO 1600, +0.3 EV, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I was photographing birds yesterday morning when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye and saw “something” land on a pine tree some distance from where I sat.<\/p>\n

For a few moments, I wondered what it was, then decided to walk over with my camera to investigate the mysterious flying object, or, more appropriately, organism.<\/p>\n

And I found this mantis. I did a little dance before I started photographing it.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe pine tree I saw the Carolina Mantis fly into \u2013 Canon R7, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 1600, Canon 100-400mm at 220mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Then I walked back to where I was sitting, zoomed out to 220mm, and photographed the mantis on the tree. I would have preferred to zoom out even further, but then the mantis would have been too hard to see. Even at 220mm, it is difficult to see in this inset.<\/p>\n

\"CarolinaCarolina Mantis resting on a pine tree \u2013 Canon R7, f13, 1\/1250, ISO 1600, -0.7 EV, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Once I finished photographing that, I went back out to the tree to take more photos of the mantis. She or he blended right into the bark of the pine, but not well enough to escape my eyes.<\/p>\n

\"CarolinaCarolina Mantis in morning light \u2013 Canon R7, f13, 1\/1000, ISO 1600, -0.3 EV, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

There was only bright light for a little while yesterday, and it happened as I was taking images of this Carolina Mantis<\/span><\/a>. I would have preferred softer, more even light, but I took the photos anyway.<\/p>\n

I imagine these mantids aren’t all that easy to find, and having one catch my eye while I was photographing birds was simply amazing.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my insect and spider images.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, I spotted and photographed my first Carolina Mantis here in Arkansas. If not for my keen eyesight, I would never have seen the mantis at all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":134415,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13950,15712,13951],"tags":[4004,10484,15720,4142,13931,15721,15722,4099,10560,4046,4156,15719,2315,4427,8018,13966],"class_list":["post-134431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arkansas","category-carolina-mantises","category-sebastian-county","tag-adult","tag-bark","tag-carolina-mantis","tag-close-up","tag-garden","tag-mantis","tag-mantises","tag-morning-light","tag-pine-tree","tag-portrait","tag-resting","tag-stagmomantis-carolina","tag-summer-3","tag-tree","tag-urban","tag-yard"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/carolina-mantis-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-8760.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-yYf","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":135229,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/10\/03\/pine-warbler-with-a-carolina-mantis\/","url_meta":{"origin":134431,"position":0},"title":"Pine Warbler With A Carolina Mantis","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Two days ago before sunrise, I went to put suet in the feeder and found a Carolina Mantis on the stick. Later, a Pine Warbler arrived, and it got interesting.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pine Warbler and a Carolina Mantis at a suet feeder, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pine-warbler-carolina-mantis-feeder-mia-mcpherson-0960.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pine-warbler-carolina-mantis-feeder-mia-mcpherson-0960.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pine-warbler-carolina-mantis-feeder-mia-mcpherson-0960.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pine-warbler-carolina-mantis-feeder-mia-mcpherson-0960.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":143184,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/04\/28\/when-carolina-wren-chicks-fledge\/","url_meta":{"origin":134431,"position":1},"title":"When Carolina Wren Chicks Fledge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday it was cloudy, so we didn\u2019t head to the refuge, and that turned out great because during the morning, in low light, the Carolina Wren chicks fledged!","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Carolina Wren chick on an old wooden ladder, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/carolina-wren-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-8810.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/carolina-wren-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-8810.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/carolina-wren-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-8810.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/carolina-wren-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-8810.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":137795,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/12\/13\/late-fall-carolina-chickadee-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":134431,"position":2},"title":"Late Fall Carolina Chickadee Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning, I enjoyed taking several photos of a Carolina Chickadee while it was still very cold. These late fall mornings have been brisk lately.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Late autumn Carolina Chickadee perched on driftwood, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/carolina-chickadee-late-autumn-mia-mcpherson-8119.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/carolina-chickadee-late-autumn-mia-mcpherson-8119.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/carolina-chickadee-late-autumn-mia-mcpherson-8119.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/carolina-chickadee-late-autumn-mia-mcpherson-8119.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":143199,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/04\/29\/carolina-chickadee-chicks-have-fledged\/","url_meta":{"origin":134431,"position":3},"title":"Carolina Chickadee Chicks Have Fledged!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday the Carolina Chickadee chicks that were in the nest box on the pear tree fledged, and the first one I photographed was near the deck.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Carolina Chickadee chick in a flower bed, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/carolina-chickadee-chick-mia-mcpherson-9958.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/carolina-chickadee-chick-mia-mcpherson-9958.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/carolina-chickadee-chick-mia-mcpherson-9958.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/carolina-chickadee-chick-mia-mcpherson-9958.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":132670,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/08\/18\/fall-southeastern-dusk-singing-cicada-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":134431,"position":4},"title":"Fall Southeastern Dusk-singing Cicada Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"After sharing a photo of me photographing a cicada shell on a tree yesterday, I thought I'd share photos of a Fall Southeastern Dusk-singing Cicada today.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fall Southeastern Dusk-singing Cicada from above, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fall-Southeastern-Dusk-singing-Cicada-mia-mcpherson-2864.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fall-Southeastern-Dusk-singing-Cicada-mia-mcpherson-2864.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fall-Southeastern-Dusk-singing-Cicada-mia-mcpherson-2864.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fall-Southeastern-Dusk-singing-Cicada-mia-mcpherson-2864.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":137934,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/12\/19\/carolina-chickadees-in-a-charlie-brown-christmas-tree\/","url_meta":{"origin":134431,"position":5},"title":"Carolina Chickadees In A Charlie Brown Christmas Tree","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, I photographed Carolina Chickadees in a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. I'm sure many of you have seen A Charlie Brown Christmas and know the tree I mean.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Carolina Chickadee in a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/carolina-chickadee-charlie-brown-christmas-tree-mia-mcpherson-8788.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/carolina-chickadee-charlie-brown-christmas-tree-mia-mcpherson-8788.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/carolina-chickadee-charlie-brown-christmas-tree-mia-mcpherson-8788.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/carolina-chickadee-charlie-brown-christmas-tree-mia-mcpherson-8788.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134431\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}