A few days ago, just in time for Halloween, I noticed this ghostly praying mantis, devoid of its innards. The work of some ghoulish fiend? Alas no, at least for Halloween fans. Rather, this is the result of a mantis molting, which it will do up to five times en route to adulthood. At least I hope that’s what it was.
When it comes to bugs, there are many contenders for otherworldly status. One such is the praying mantis. This one was slowly working its way along a hedge looking for prey, but it kept a wary eye out for the weird looking, big-headed alien creature pointing that glass-fronted box in its direction.
Posted in response to this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge, ‘Out of This World.’
A praying mantis that I saw wandering around on the rocks at the coast, and not rocks close to the cliff, but out near the water’s edge and likely to be inundated soon. I never saw if it returned safely to dry land.
I was out in the yard taking photos on a windy day when I felt something tickle my arm. I thought it was a leaf, but looking down found this baby praying mantis on the move. I watched it for a while before setting it down on a leaf in a sheltered spot.
I suppose I should have a series about things found on my basil plants since they are many and varied. This praying mantis won’t harm the plant and it might eat some harmful bugs, but it’s equally likely to devour beneficial insects. Still, I think they’re fascinating creatures and I always enjoy seeing them.
I saw this little fellow gingerly making his was across one of the windows. He was no more than an inch long.
Praying mantis are fairly common around here, though they can be difficult to spot since they blend in so well on various plants. This one wasn’t hard to spot for obvious reasons.
Graham's Island 