I was out tramping in my yard while it was raining abit..Yes, I had nothing better to do than this!
I was trying to take a pic of a ginger bloom and this praying mantis poke its head out from behind the petal!! Telling me..peeky boo..I see you!
Peeky Boo..I see you!!
Another pic of it..
wow nice shots Nadine
Another shot of an interesting creature!!..Thank you, Donna!!
How cute is that first pic?? He really looks like he is looking at you. I love it. They are violent animals, he probably is trying to figure out how to take you down for his dinner. It looks like in your last pic, that green lizard has barnacles on it, Nadine. LOL.
I think you are running a zoo there.
So how are you, Nadine? And how is my pretty PINK pig Daisymae??
Kell!! Well she is right now trying to stay high and dry!!... it is raining again due to that tropical storm that is near me somewhere..I am so glad it is here.. I decided to put on my wide brim hat,raincoat and go picture taking in the rain...
UH! that he thing is not having me for dinner!!...LOL...a zoo?? ..funny!! I don't see it that way..more like a animal collector...but I let them go! except my Daisymae...she stays put anyway..fat and lazy sassy girl!
Now I know why Daisymae and I get along so well besides being both PINK. We are both fat and lazy sassy girls.
I bet it felt good to be outside in the rain. I love that too.
I love mantises. Those are wonderful pictures. :)
-Joe
Cool Nadine, I've never seen one. Joelle
I was in another site conversing about these creatures and how they hadnt been seen in my area (and others) in a very long time. I remember when I was very young (which was a very long time ago) they were very common. Then over time they disappeared. I also remember seeing Horned Toads ('member those?) all over the place in the neighborhood and now nothing. I dont know if the return of the Mantis has anything to do with me and my garden (my parents kept the yard bare) but Im glad to see them again. I do try to have something for the birds (esp hummers), the butterflies, and I even have 3 toads in the yard. I hope its working cuz I love their presence in my garden.
I am extra careful to keep an eye out for these critters. If I find one in an inhospitable area (parking lot, etc.) I always try to gently transfer it to a safer area. I find they can be transferred (or encouraged to fly) by simply nudging them onto the back of one hand with the other. They'll climb, or fly, but they usually end up somewhere safer than where they were.
I'm in Ohio. I just found this link with information http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2154.html . I note we can also order egg cases from here. Mantids are an excellent natural control for many damaging insects. :)
-Joe
We bought a few new trees early summer and one of them must have had a mantis cocoon because during the first week of watering, I found it covered one day with teeny tiny little praying mantis babies, hundreds of them, miniature versions of their parents. Very cool.
Read in the butterfly postings that these eat butterflys which I found horrifying. I like the idea of having the mantis for the purpose of getting rid of unwanted pests but "NOT THE BUTTERFLYS"......
Well, everybody has to eat something!!
Im hoping they prefer the doodle bugs, slugs, ants and mosquitos I have plenty of.......... "Fly little Butterfly, FLY!!!"