September seems to bring the predators in my garden. I always welcome these... Several weeks ago, I began to see lots of the small, newly hatched praying mantis...mostly bright green.
Here is a large female hiding in my buddlea (butterfly bush). See how it has adapted it's color to look like a stick?
I was really surprised to see this one on one of my Autumn sedums. He has managed to get a pink cast. In real life, it was much more strongly pink, but still not as dark as the flower head...more of a grayish pink.
The praying mantis egg cases look sort of odd...brown light as air sort of affairs.
When I am cleaning up the garden, either for the winter or taking out the last of the grasses in the spring, I am always on the look out. I don't want to in inadvertently destroy one as they to very well at keeping down the insect populations.
I just wish they would develop a Japanese beetle only diet and forgo the butterflies!
Sunita recently showed some of her insect visitors on her blog, and even showed a praying mantis as well. Hers seems to be a bit smaller and has a thinner abdomen. Take a look here
3 comments:
I wish mantises could live in my garden. Although, if the climate keeps changing they probably will eventually. Neat pictures!
Thanks, Mark! I was posting the new post...and thinking of you as I do when I look at my birds...although they are far more common than the exotic ones you have on your life list!
I didn't realize that Praying mantis (I usually goof and write preying mantis) don't live up in your neck of the woods...
Lisa
These are great pictures, including the ones in your most recent post. I wish we had assassin bugs here; we're beseiged by Japanese beetles!
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