Fatal Attraction

Praying Mantis’ Sexual Cannibalism

It might seem like a high price to pay for sex, but about a third of male Praying Mantis are willing to take the chance. Females often eat their lovers at some point in the act of mating and misguided naturalists, who think they need to justify animal behavior on moral grounds, point out that she then has more energy to lay eggs. But you don’t need to apply morality to animals,they just do what they do. She sees a smaller bug and eats it.

Which made me wonder: why doesn’t that deter the males? But then we all may risk danger in our love lives at some point.

Or maybe she’s irresistibly sexy? So I made this 12 inch sculpture called “Fatal Attraction.” I laugh every time I look at it.