... 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,
shawnaLabels: BUGS, cool, garden, Gardening, mantis, praying, Project Green Thumbs, Things That Make Me Happy