Oh, My, Mantis!

The yard is a pretty lively place. I’m beginning to learn my wasp and bee species (if only they would hold still!). There are butterflies, ants, moths, true bugs, caterpillars, flies, and lots more living their best little lives. My garden is habitat.

With the glut of cicadas now peacefully becoming compost, the rest of the insect world is going about its daily routine. We had an ootheca (egg case) of Carolina praying mantis (Stagmomantis carolina) on the meadowsweet (Spiraea alba). They have hatched and dispersed, mostly becoming someone’s lunch. However this little one has made her home on the rudbeckia on the driveway.

The husband and I take turns finding her every day. As you can tell, she is busy and rather nonplussed at the human attention. She also blends very well into the rudbeckia foliage. This is our native North American mantis, so we are pretty excited to share space with her. The birds seem pretty fat and sated with cicadas, so perhaps she will survive to lay her own ootheca for next year.

I love her sassy attitude! Most mantids I’ve encountered could care less about humans and seem to exude a general look of what? when disturbed. They know they are a predator - we’re just too big to eat.