Buzz off: Praying mantis bats away wasp trying to steal grasshopper snack from its jaws in astonishing close-up footage

  • The green creature strikes at grasshopper in a split second, trapping it by its legs
  • Clip from Germany shows predator pinning its prey and mercilessly devouring it
  • But the wasp is not giving up and the pair engage in a power struggle  

When this praying mantis had its hapless victim in its spiked grasp, it hadn't banked on sharing it.

So when an annoying wasp tries to swipe the juicy grasshopper snack from its jaws, it was none too pleased.

Close-up footage captures the struggle between the two insects as the mantis does its best to tuck into its the snack with one front leg while batting the wasp away with the other.

The clip, filmed this summer in a garden in Eifel, west Germany, starts with the mantis rocking back and forth as it locates its prey.

The green insect, which owes its name to the way its front legs bend in a prayer position, strikes at a grasshopper in a split second, trapping it under its spiked forelegs. 

Having no chance of escaping, the grasshopper eventually becomes limp as the mantis starts to eat it alive.

But its not the only one who is hungry as a wasp buzzes in and tries to nab the snack from its jaw. 

The green creature strikes at a grasshopper in a split second, trapping it under its spiked legs

The green creature strikes at a grasshopper in a split second, trapping it under its spiked legs

The filmmaker said: 'On a beautiful late summer's day, I filmed a female praying mantis approaching a wasteland ninsect and was able to document the catch and the subsequent eating. 

'At that time there were also many wasps in my garden. 

When the mantis had already eaten about half of the grasshopper, a wasp kept approaching and wanted to get their part of the meal.' 

The unidentified filmer added: 'Praying mantises are skilled hunters and true eating machines. 

The power struggle between the wasp and praying mantis continues for around two minutes

The power struggle between the wasp and praying mantis continues for around two minutes

'They are perfectly camouflaged, but many species reach a considerable size (the females of this species can reach over 8 cm) and therefore very conspicuous.'

In the video, the mantis keeps chomping on the snack despite numerous attempts made by the wasp to take the meal from its grasp.

With one eye on the grasshopper and the other on the wasp, the mantis bats the wasp away several times throughout almost two minutes. 

The praying mantis is left without its snack as the determined wasp snatches it from its grasp and buzzes off

The praying mantis is left without its snack as the determined wasp snatches it from its grasp and buzzes off

At one point the mantis seemingly lets its guard down and allows the wasp to chew on his prey from the opposite side.

But no sooner has this happened, the wasp buzzes off with the snack leaving the mantis licking its wounds

And in a final insult, we see the wasp fly into shot again hovering around the mantis almost in a victorious as if to say it had won. 

Praying mantises can turn their heads 180 degrees to scan their surroundings with their two large compound eyes.

They have an additional three simple eyes located between them. 

The filmmaker who has been studying European praying mantises, said: 'These creatures are fascinating and extremely efficient predators. 

'They are best known for the fact that the larger females occasionally eat the males after mating. A behaviour that appears cruel and at the same time interesting to humans

'But it serves to supply females with abundant proteins before they lay eggs and to ensure the reproduction of the species.'

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