Praying Mantis Vs Wasp | Wild Europe | National Geographic Wild

Worker wasps venture outside the colony to seek the ideal building materials. However, even for the most aggressive wasps, life outside the colony holds no certainties. Despite the danger posed by the wasps' lethal sting, the praying mantis, a skilful wasp assassin and a camouflage expert, relies on its predator instincts and fearlessly strikes. As a result, it could be argued that the praying mantis is the most skilled insect hunter on the planet.
Witness the wasp assassin in action in Iberia's Woodlands as part of Wild Europe, 7th and 14th May at 6pm, on National Geographic WILD UK.
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[@fonkamex]

Dear Mantis, thanks for your service to humanity.

[@DarkVoidIII]

FYI: Preying Mantises don't "suck" the juices out of their victims. They have a set of mandibles that can cut through the hardest exoskeleton and literally munch away on the insect they've caught, solids and liquids being ingested simultaneously. If they're really hungry, they will sometimes consume a lot of the insect, but if they're getting full they might only munch on the tastiest parts and ditch the rest for some ant colony or lower tier scavenger to find.

[@Wa-igi]

Praying Mantis usually avoid ants, infact most predatory insects avoid ants

[@DarkVoidIII]

@@Wa-igiExactly! Preying Mantises are often on trees, in branches or foliage high above the ground, and drop whatever remains they don't want to the floor of the area they're in, where the ants are. It does not mean that they are close to each other.

[@CP-vi8fy]

@@DarkVoidIII "Pray" is different than "Prey". Whole different meaning.

[@NM.Land2]

❤

[@iliya1933]

@@CP-vi8fyBoth make sense in the context of mantises, even though only one is correct, though.

[@skyboom1961]

A mantis doesn't suck out it's brains 🧠, it eats them. I've watched them enough when I used to breed them.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Exactly. It's not a spider. I've raised Preying Mantises and they devour everything they catch.

[@corn1078]

This is the reason I love the praying mantis. It’s amazing how they are adapted to staying undetected and catching insects so precisely. Plus I just don’t like wasps

[@bobboberson2024]

You don’t need to embellish the way a Mantis eats. They don’t suck the brains out of any prey. They just eat it whole - alive. Mantids are a boss of insects.

[@SJHFoto]

Amazing footage, and cinemaphotography! National Geographic never disappoints! For decades, they have shown us nature and scenes from round the world, and in the best quality for the time period

[@Slow-wipe]

Thank you for your service

[@therealbronxbull8541]

Looks like Egbert and Hortense aint making it home for dinner.

[@dustintacohands1107]

They way they look at you is hilarious they’re always ready to throw down

[@NorsePJ]

Now, if they only had acid for blood. LOL!

[@RobynHood1021]

Gotta respect the praying mantis

[@NatureWonders2]

Wow amazing this vedio

[@kittenpawsbb]

I need to know the plant they are all hanging around. I have different types of wasp, and would love to make a place to attract the Praying Mantis. Thank you 🤔🌿

[@patremagilbert682]

Two deadly. One winner.

[@spiritwhispers667]

brilliant

[@youtub3ian728]

Amazing.

[@RUGER5264]

Wow

[@gora2497]

Some mantis even prey on kolibri bird. Good to know there're no mantis the size of large dog. Otherwise human will be their prey.

[@misomiso8228]

who does the voice over for this clip please?

[@xtreme1002003]

Asian giant hornets: “Hold our beer”

[@z1az285]

Chinese giant mantis: you first. and proceeds to eat a asian giant hornet. finishes with earing the stinger like a toothpick

[@jasunhamilton5008]

Praying mantis : "And get packed up"

[@somerandomperson8282]

"In a few minutes the mantis can eat COUNTLESS wasps". Umm no they can certainly be counted so please provide accurate figures instead of treating people like idiots. Worst wildlife video narration ever.

[@patrickmaline4258]

1:29 hyperbole much?

[@davidsullivan1325]

Reminds of some narcissists

[@siriosstar4789]

also known as the California Gold Digger

[@jacksmales4973]

I used to have a praying mantis as a pet l. He was beautiful

[@1mantiss1]

They don't bite?

[@jacksmales4973]

@@1mantiss1 Some species do but mine didn't. He was an African Flower Mantis

[@gezzly72]

They only live about a year ?

[@jacksmales4973]

@@gezzly72 I'm not sure. It probably depends on the species

[@lQuadXl]

​​@@1mantiss1Mantis only bite it's prey - insects! They're harmless to humans, awesome as a pet!

[@randomdude7200]

When I was a teenager I read a sci-fi horror story called "Eat Them Alive" about a guy who trains giant preying mantises to get revenge on his enemies by eating them alive. It was very graphic and a bit shocking to read at 13 years old! Never forgot it tho!

[@JAYZ-47465]

That story sounds badass !!!

[@bennickss]

I wish there were mantises in the UK, would love one as a pet/wasp deterrent

[@shinjilovrrr]

you can certainly buy one, but one that's captive-bred may not have the same lethality as a wild one

[@peteacher52]

Come to NZ. There are two varieties; the endemic native specie with dark blue tympanic spots on its graspers and caffra, arrived from Sth Africa in the 70s and has spread quickly to become dominant and very common. Caffra is a little more voracious than the native but each will take wasps, time to consume, 20-30 minutes. If you want to keep one in a terrarium, realise that they only live for one year and that you will need to find a replacement each Spring. I made a detailed study of them about 25 years ago and the above is but a meer fragment of information.

[@peteacher52]

Tricky buying a creature that has a limited life span. Dealer will tell you otherwise, but you need to know that what you are buying may already be 4 months or so old. Caveat Emptor. Mantids are hard-wired to do what they do so captive breeding does not diminish voracity. I've done it.@@shinjilovrrr

[@doctordemon5076]

There are,but not in the pet store. Btw,usualy find them near or on thick trees! :)

[@SpeccyMan]

@@peteacher52 Mere fragments prefer their letters in the correct order. 😉

[@2611Jonatas]

1:20 Funny the little fly begging for attention at the mantis' arm.

[@OceanSwimmer]

Mantids are one of Nature's miracles. They blend with vegetation so completely it's difficult to see them, even when you know where one has been hanging out. Year after year they return to our garden to feed, grow, reproduce, and lay eggs.

[@teeanahera8949]

There are no miracles in nature, species evolve over millions of years to fit into their ecosystem.

[@andydufresne8034]

What amazes me is that they know wasps sting and where the stinger is located on the wasp's body. How do you know these things without getting stung at least once in your life? I learned bees sting when I was stung at age four. Why didn't I have this knowledge of stinging somehow embedded in my instincts like other animals seem to? Instincts fascinate me. The things creatures known without having to be taught.

[@ighosttoastgaming7414]

so syther is better than beedrill got it

[@Vmartket]

I found a mantis with a broken leg,I want to learn how to nurture it

[@Z7Sakari]

What the Mantis actually does more resembles burrowing headfirst into its victims eating everything along the way while they are still alive.

[@owaisshaikh5995]

Imagine if mantis were human sized..

[@774game]

A lion or a tiger wouldn't even come close to the strength of a 200 pound Mantis

[@larryc1616]

Any insect that's human size would eat us all 😮

[@liorgold5303]

That's why we have weapons, we would just shoot them .

[@AceofDlamonds]

that's completely false. Insects have poor inefficient circulatory systems. @@774game 200 lb mantis would not be able to support itself with an exoskeleton

[@twoweeledsoto6072]

I could swear I've seen a couple of human sized.

[@lanceangelobaynosa]

Praying mantis are prehistoric bug Not related modern bug

[@tearnorwood8076]

I’m here from the “series” of Buggin and now I see why butterfly, bee and ladybug want him on their team 😮lol

[@voiceofexperience]

I LOVE MANTIS! ❤

[@doctordemon5076]

Assasin its an entity,who sneack up on you,and try to kill you,on another person command! Who is the smarty who came up with this name!?!? If you hunt to eat,you are not an assasin!!! Do all hunter and fishermen in the world,are assasins!?!?! Are they!?!? HUH!!? 😮

[@LaCheleWallace]

This is dope. Them po' wasps didn't stand a chance.

[@SJHFoto]

The praying mantis actually doesn't use venom to drug its prey-just a quick ambush

[@youtub3ian728]

@@SJHFoto they do use venom it's in their jaw.

[@harrypoore]

@@youtub3ian728that is completely incorrect. No mantis species on Earth possesses venom.

[@richardscanlan3419]

The Praying Mntis - doing God's work.

[@caseywood9781]

They don't suck out the brain

[@MiniAmbush]

I’d wonder who will win when it’s a hoverfly-bumblebee vs praying mantis

[@FardGaming_410]

Praying mantis its exoskeleton is made of the same substance as crabs so a bee sting would be nothing against the mantis

[@polibot1]

There really is no limit to their appetite. When I was a kid, my brother and I caught one and kept feeding it grasshoppers. We thought it was just really hungry…until its belly split open. 😮

[@Tofu_Eatz]

This praying mantis is doing God’s work. Down with the wasps. Please. 😭💀

[@QUAEWEAN.LATEEF.ISRAEL.]

I seen these live and in person insects by the name of the praying mantis in the county of Duval , city of Jacksonville , state of Florida , nation United States of America , continent of America ! When I was the juvenile age ! Guess where off of Pearl Street ! Not directly on Pearl Street you have turned down one of the streets on Pearl Street ! In the county of Duval I was not 13 years old when I saw them with my own eyes 👀 and there others present at the location !

[@Dvoid.]

Nature is brutal I once saw a wasp still alive cut in half by a mantis and eats we’re going IN the wasp and taking chunks out while it was still flailing around

[@adrianmefford9030]

I just witnessed this play out between a praying mantis and a wasp on our orange tree! Boy, am I thankful not to be a wasp today! That sh** was gruesome.

[@fnvfan0145]

I like how there's already a fly there saying hi and thx 4 the food.

[@domonicmcleod4252]

As .uch as i enjoyed that Mantis eating wasp. Those wasp were small Could it do that to a Hornet or Pepsis Wasp?

[@v.e.7236]

There are mantises large enough to catch/eat prey as large as a hummingbird. You can find them scoping out the nectar feeders people hang up for the hummingbirds - watched it happen in real time.

[@PeterPan-nh7yx]

1:26 "Before suckin' out your brain ..." goddamn once I knew this girl 😎

[@bensmith7536]

Bill Nighy is a master narrator.

[@weylandyutanicorporate]

At 1:20 slow the playback speed to 0.25 to see the most horrific mouth in the animal kingdom at work.

[@justayoutuber1906]

Sadly, they also eat honey bees.

[@maximilianmusterhans4659]

Less dramatic narration but more uncut footage please...

[@mikeolincalhoun1954]

Perez Michael Thomas John Hernandez Cynthia

[@kylorenax5185]

That was really cool

[@eumaies]

see if i did that the wasps would gang up on me and kill me. But the mantis is just fine?

[@manooch]

0:49 It looks like praying mantis is more intelligent than we think, its head movements to look at something left right down and focusing and chewing is scary

[@josephdonais4778]

Leave it to the media to anthropomorphize, 'assassin'. 🙄

[@The_X-PO_Center]

-Why universe hate Waspinator?!-

[@elforeigner3260]

They look like some green devils

[@johnpatmos1722]

Narration needs a Ze Frank touch.

[@jkbc]

wasp's brain eater, what a freaky mantis

[@MinMaxInfinity]

Not sure why he loves to eat yo face first 😊

[@vincentsutter1071]

The safest way to devour prey

[@aleksebastianbordaomata2272]

I swear praying mantis moves like a robot

[@easypeezy03]

Wasps stand zero chance against mantises

[@guffinator70]

Eaten alive. Nature is not kind.

[@naithikkumar2194]

Thank got we born as a human not as an animal or insect😅😅😂😂

[@MichaelBecker-px5sy]

Alien Insect,wasp killer, The Mighty Mantis, Cool

[@BlueToronto]

1:36 This wasp tried to sting, but it missed.

[@andrewkim7725]

Black cube in the middle east - Prayers

[@noseefood1943]

Just count our blessings that PMs are not 6 foot tall

[@aaron-dd5zr]

Did you see that Hyena fly trying to get some

[@OceanXTC]

Strangely reminds me of my former wife...

[@bankylaw3745]

Plot Twist: You thought they were referring to the Mantis when he said..."The most masterful insect killer on the planet" if you watch again the background you'll find footage of me with rolled up news paper.

[@BigstickNick]

The insect world is brutal…

[@bruinsteel]

I am terrified of bees, wasps, and hornet I don't think I ever be on here cheering for a pray mantis. Lets go!!! eat those demons Mantis!!!

[@walnic93]

Sucks the juices out of its prey... come back next week where we learn that preying mantis spins beautiful webs across rivers in the rainforest

[@claytoncarey2730]

If the Praying Mantis was going up against a Hornet Queen or a mud dauber wasp, the result would be the opposite, I seen wasps carrying giant mantises underneath my mom and dads house to their nest

[@DelasVC]

These things are end level disgusting..

[@namronrenkreb]

Shares its pray with a small fly!

[@stevemorse108]

At forts I found praying mantises fascinating and almost charming when I ran into them but seeing there modus operandi is quite unpleasant.

[@GeneralThargor]

I could watch hours of this.

[@jeewssam8418]

Mantis is a next level killer

[@jamesmcstein6758]

They have been filmed eating murder hornets... Wasps no problem 👍

[@allenw.3521]

an excellent video, but a mantis can never eat "Countless" anything in minutes.

[@holyn8]

1:28 if they are lucky...

[@SgtScorpious]

Mmmm Wasp Brains

[@larryg.9187]

... Holy cow Batman ! ...

[@عبدالرزاقالمالكي-د1ط]

What about Japanese wasps ?

[@doodgeslagenmug]

“Do you fear death?”

[@trikinuke]

1:37 Stinger triggering...

[@Rorschachqp]

If you have one close up, you can move around and its head and eyes will follow you.

[@maatspinoriginal2586]

You call that venom but it's nothing more than a delicious sauce

[@williamjueschke9960]

I love these bugs, so amazing.😊

[@ryanohara476]

The only time that you ever only want a praying mantis to win!

[@MrRalphBraun]

Hmmmm brains......

[@reverseuniverse2559]

Must pay to pray

[@EasilyIrritatedimp]

Countless wasps (we forgot to count them ;3;)

[@Doktor00Magnus]

Any wasp predator is in my good books