I looked out my office window. That’s when I saw her in the driveway. I think she was catching some rays. The asphalt makes a nice solar heat collector and the air was cool.
I went out to her with camera in hand. She was patient as she posed for me.
I tried to get a low-angle view. My efforts failed to capture a usable image.
I was hoping to get an image like the one above, which I captured six years ago. It didn’t work for me this time.
I’m not sure why these two mantises look so different. I tried to find some info online, but nothing helpful found. Not that it much matters to me. I’m more interested etymology than entomology.
just an educated guess that the top on is male (slender) and the bottom on female (fatter shorter abdomen), but you have to count abdominal segments to be sure. The color just depends on age and environment. Nice pix either way. I love them, even though they are quite fierce.
Thanks for the explanation. I know they are fierce predators, but they are such interesting creatures. I find them fascinating.
Was one much larger than the other? If so, the top (brown) is the female, I believe. The male is much smaller…and more green.
Those are creepy cool. She will stare you down like she is gonna eat you whole. Them is some ballsy bugs.
The top much larger than the one below. The mantis can rotate its head 180 degrees. You can’t sneak up on one without being seen. I think they are super cool and indiscriminate predators.
The one in the lower picture is definitely striking a pose for you.
I don’t like bugs/insects/critters of any kind so try to avoid them.
I don’t particularly like the flying ones with stingers. The exception being the honey bee.