Found this guy in my yard today!

While watering my yard today, I spotted something green moving in one of my cypress trees. Turned out to be and a very nice looking praying mantis.
I couldn't tell you it is male or female, but I am quite happy to have it in my yard.
I did catch it and held it my hand long enough to show my 2.5 year old daughter who got a big kick out of seeing it. She even tried to kiss it, if you can believe it.
After taking a few quick pictures I relocated it to my citrus tree in the back yard.

I haven't seen any so far this year, we usually have quite a few. When the eggs hatch there will be hundreds of little teeny ones all over!

I just saw one earlier today, it was just hanging out on the side of a building. First one I've seen this year, we have quite a few around here too. They really love asparagus when it goes through the bushy stage. I was at a friends house a few years ago and he just ran his hand through the bush and there must have been hundreds of them in there.

Has an alien face

Very cool, I love those. Keeps the insects down.

We have lots, but we also have lots of grasshoppers this year. I saw a mantis yesterday that was easily 6 inches long.

Very strange creatures. I always marvel at the incredible variety of plants and animals on our planet.

Coolest bugs around.

Whenever I see one I think of this.

[video]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050294/[/video]

The only insect that can look over its shoulder.

Here's another species of Praying Mantis.

Some people make friends of these insects.

That's really cool looking! I'm not sure I'd try and pick that one up, though I'm not aware of any praying mantis being harmful to people.

Billski said:

Here's another species of Praying Mantis.

Some people make friends of these insects. View attachment 683407

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Here is another picture of the mantis in my citrus tree. I just took it. He seems happy there.

Cool! I used to play with them all the time as a kid.

There has been one on my truck a couple of times lately...once it jumped on my shirt and I had to pick it off and put it down in the grass. I guess I'll pick it up next time and get a pic. Those things are neat.

I seen one of these buggers on the porch yesterday...
I got up and left the porch!

alex2363 said:

Has an alien face

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He might say the same about you.

I'm always happy to see predatory insects, as well as frogs or lizards and the like. It means something is going right.

TexLaw said:

He might say the same about you.

I'm always happy to see predatory insects, as well as frogs or lizards and the like. It means something is going right.

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True...he also kinda looks like Benedict Cumberbatch


View attachment 683546

Mantids are stone cold killers. Praying mantises, walking sticks, you name it. I'll have as many in my yard as mother nature can provide. I will also gladly accept dragonflies and damsel flies to patrol the skies and take out gnats and mosquitoes in mid-air.

Here's how you tell if it's male or female. Find another mantis and place it in front of your specimen. If the new mantis rips its own head off, yours is a female.

He certainly does! I thought I was the only one that saw the resemblance.

alex2363 said:

True...he also kinda looks like Benedict Cumberbatch


View attachment 683546View attachment 683547

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