Praying Mantis
 A praying mantis gets its name from its front legs, which look like they are praying. They are usually green, though some are pink or brown. They hide on plants or flowers. This stops bigger insects, bats and birds eating them and help them hunt smaller insects.
A praying mantis will wait on a leaf or flower. They have excellent eyesight and can see movement more than 20 metres away. They use strong and fast front legs to catch moths, mosquitoes, beetles and other insects for dinner. Larger species can even eat small tree frogs. Different species can be 1.2 to 15cm long.
A female can lay about 400 eggs at one time. A praying mantis lives for about 12 months. Since it eats other insects, farmers often like them. Here are some close-up photos of this creature. 
Dung beetles
 Imagine how much animal waste, or dung, is produced every year. Dung beetles help us by breaking up and eating it! Most dung beetles can fly around following animals and trying to smell the dung. When they find it, they literally start eating! Dung beetles help mankind. They break down dung so there are fewer flies. Without them, the countryside might be a smellier place!!!
While humans may go to the cinema on dates, many dung beetles roll balls of dung together before mating. A female will lay eggs and stay with her young beetles. The male will go to find other females!
They can be from 1 to 60mm long and live for up to three years. Local expert Paul Aston lives on Lamma Island. He became interested in beetles a few years ago, partly because so little is known about them. "Many species of beetles come from Hong Kong but we know little about their behaviour," explains Paul. He says that Lantau Island is the best place to see them because there is more water there than other places.
Here are three pictures that Paul has taken of beetles in Hong Kong.
1. Harold 1868 is one of our most attractive 'Dung Beetles'. It is about 10mm long and was originally described from a specimen taken in Hong Kong in 1868. |
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2. This is one of our Long Horn Beetles. Over 100 species have been recorded in Hong Kong . Our largest Long Horn Beetle grows up to 68 mm. |
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3. This is one of our Rove Beetles. Members of this family are mostly very small and elongate. The one in the photo is 3 - 4 mm long. This family is so huge it is estimated that 3 % of all living animals belong to it. Over 500 species of this family have been found in Hong Kong so far, with many more yet to be found. |
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Photographer - Paul Aston |
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Info 
A phobia is an irrational fear of something. Insectophobia, fear of insects, is the most common phobia. You must have seen people jump up and scream when they see a bee, cockroach or spider.