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George Valinda, CA(Zone 10a) Sep 27, 2002

This was on the wall above my stove tonight. What is it?

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MaVieRose High Desert, CA(Zone 8a) Sep 27, 2002

looked like a praying manthis. i see those on the brugs plant all the time, eating bugs.

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REDROSE New Iberia, LA(Zone 9a) Sep 27, 2002

MaVie is right, over here has several.

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Crasulady2 Valley Village, CA Sep 29, 2002

I may even have a picture of one that I found in Africa, they are good bugs, and should not be destroyed. I buy those for my garden every year. Norma

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roadrunner Crossville, TN Sep 29, 2002

They were on the endangered species list and were protected by law...I suppose they still are. Jo

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Wingnut Spicewood, TX(Zone 8b) Sep 29, 2002

Yes, GREAT bugs! Whenever I have an infestation of some sort of bad bug, I'll go hunting for these and move them near the infestation. It seems to help a lot. And here's a neat story Mom loves to tell ~ when I was almost five, we bought a used trailer house to live in here on the farm. Apparently, the previous occupants had a roach problem and they came with it. Mom instructed us three kids to bring her every praying mantis we could find. Two weeks later and not a roach in sight. To this day, I've never seen a roach in Mom's house! Thank goodness, I can't stand them. *shudder*

These insects are carnivorous, so won't bother your plants at all. I've looked all over the 'net for a pic of the egg case, but only found one that looks even remotely like the ones we have here: http://www.desertusa.com/mag00/dec/papr/mantis.html The one in the pic may have already hatched out ~ it's kind of beat up looking. If you find any of these, it's a simple matter to transfer them to the garden and glue them up in a sheltered spot using just a tiny bit of glue.

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philomel Castelnau RB Pyrenée, France(Zone 8a) Sep 29, 2002

Thanks for all that Wingnut, we don't have them here, but it's fascinating to hear how they can be used.

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George Valinda, CA(Zone 10a) Sep 30, 2002

Well I did put him outside the next morning and it flew off. I have plenty of stuff growing so I am sure that it found some to munch on.

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MaVieRose High Desert, CA(Zone 8a) Sep 30, 2002

George, i u have some brugs in ur garden, that is where u will find them. i have other plants in the yard, i only see them mostly on the brugmansia plants. they seem to be a permanent resident for them :).

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troy Oct 01, 2002

they are not picky about what they eat eather if they are hungry. a friend of mine had a few in the house one spring and when it got warm out he went to put it out and it started to nibble on his finger befor he could get it out side. i guess it must have been very hungry I have handled many of these but that has never had that happen to me.

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