This particular individual decided to land on my seed catalog. Maybe it was hinting at something, or was learning to read... In any event, this was a pretty fun picture to take.
So, when you see a little fella like this in your garden, do not shoo it away or kill it. It might do your garden a favor by eating a few bugs here and there.
Praying mantises are fantastic little monsters. We find them occasionally, but not as often as I'd like.
ReplyDeleteI've bought mantis egg cases from amazon; theyre usually shipped in the colder months, and will stay snug in their case until spring. (or at least until ambient temperatures make them think it's spring...) They're fantastic to watch, and you can release them in your garden. I like to let them gain some size before releasing them, because the nymphs are unbelievably tiny.
ReplyDeleteAlternatively, you can just leave the egg case in your garden and trust nature...