Praying mantis eats murder hornet in frightening video Want to see a praying mantis crack open a murder hornet’s head and gnaw its brain out? It happened. Graphic viral video shows a praying mantis snatch one of the hornets from behind, hold its deadly stinger at bay and chew through its entire head. The video emerged after widespread reports that the Asian giant hornets, the world’s largest hornets, have arrived in the U.S. Whoops! We couldn’t access this Tweet. They can grow to be up to 2 inches long, and they are a major threat to honeybees — crucial pollinators that are already in decline. But the 57-second video shows a larger praying mantis making a quick meal out of the bug. The predatory hornets nest in the ground and are known to attack honeybee hives and kill the adult bees inside before feasting on larvae and pupae, according to Washington State University. The hornets are also potentially deadly to humans — capable of breaking through beekeeper suits — although health experts say the number of people they sting who need medical attention is small. Washington’s Department of Agriculture said last week it would begin trapping queens of the new species this spring in an effort to prevent its population from establishing. Chris Looney, an entomologist working on the state’s search for the hornets, told The Associated Press that the hype about the invasive species may not be as bad as it seems — just two dead specimens were found in the state in December 2019, and a live nest in Canada was wiped out in September, according to experts. The praying mantis is a powerful predator in its own right — there are dozens of videos on YouTube and elsewhere online showing them capturing and consuming insects, lizards, birds and small mammals. They range in size from 1/2 to 6 inches long, and females are even known to cannibalize their mates, according to National Geographic. Click on the text above to watch the video of this Asian murder hornet vs the praying mantis. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading... Related
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