Congregation of the Mantises

(Mantes? Mantis')

My garden is the place to be this morning, if you're a praying mantis. I first noticed this beauty over my head while I was hanging the laundry (click on the picture to see it bigger - you can see its eye!). When I went to my garden I spotted one, then another, then another, one of which was hurt, another was a small male and the third was a big beautiful female. How do I know? Because she's big and then she ate the male. She took him down in no time. I didn't see her catch him, but once she got him she jacked his noise up. I just hope he got to "spread the word" before meeting his fate in the jaws of his lover.



That said, I'm not sure Little Girl is really a girl, what with the brown wings and all. And she's a little smaller than this big woman. Actually, now I don't know which one is Little Girl. When I went out to tend to the laundry blowing around in the crazy wind, I almost stepped on what I thought was her, "tearing" across the drive towards the garden. But then I found another one, a smaller version of that one, already there.

Here's the one I thought was Little Girl. So cute, looking right at the camera!

Also enjoy my futon and a blanket airing in the sun and WIND.