Project Green Thumbs: If praying mantises could talk…
… They would say “Go away, stalker!”
So I’ve had a little mantis obsession in my garden this summer…
It started with teeny tiny creatures like this:
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| Barely there, this critter favored cucumber leaves. |
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| Itty bitty tomato dweller. |
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| The tiniest I saw… for reference that big white perlite blob to the left is maybe 1/4 inch wide. |
And all of a sudden, ended up with full-grown “giants” like this…
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| Most hung out in leafy green areas. |
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| But this guy favored dead marigolds for a couple days. |
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| Best if you concentrate on the cool bug and not my excellent watering skills. |
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| This mantis lived in the mint all summer. Unlike the four or five others haunting the garden, it had a pretty light aqua iridescent quality to the wings. |
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| Quick Googling tells me that skinnier abdomens indicate maleness. |
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| Although handsome, I’m not sure how helpful he was… the mint was brutally attacked by all manner of leaf-eaters this summer. |
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| Praying mantis belly. |
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| Truly, these eyes were imploring me to GO AWAY. |
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| This lady (note the larger bottom half) lived in the lily on my front porch for awhile. |
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| Unlike the guys out back, she didn’t pay me much heed, just a glance or two. |
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| As lady mantises seem to eat their lovers post-coitus, I’m pretty sure I delayed this guy’s demise for an hour or so. He was making the moves on the mantis pictured below but I interrupted the romance with my watering can. Oops. |
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| A little creepy, no? |
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| The lady in question. |
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| Not sure why they like the upside-down perspective. |
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| Back to the mint. |
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| This guy liked to “box” when I came near. |
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| Haven’t seen hide nor hair of him in a couple weeks. Sigh. |
Any interesting bugs in your garden this year?
xoxo,
shawna
