Hostility in the garden

Don called me outside to the back porch the other day to see a visitor. "Bring your camera," he advised.

This was the visitor:

This lady seemed wary of all the attention she was getting, but praying mantises are always calm, cool, and collected.

She s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out and climbed onto Don's circular saw, which was lying on the porch.

Eventually I scooped her onto a stick and brought her into the garden.

I got distinctly hostile vibes from her, y'know? I think all praying mantises are hostile by default.

"You lookin' at me?"

But that's okay. She can be as hostile as she wants in the garden.

Now go forth and conquer.

Interestingly, Older Daughter found this beauty in her shop just a few hours later. 'Tis the season for praying mantises, it seems.

Danger in the strawberry bed

This is one of my strawberry beds. Notice anything unusual?

Here, let me zoom in a bit:

This lady seems to have made the strawberry bed her territory. I see her almost every day. I don't see her when I'm brushing through the plants looking for ripe berries; but boy howdy, whenever I water the plants, she comes racing to the top of the leaves, boiling mad at getting wet.

I can almost hear the stream of four-letter words issuing from her mouth at the indignity of getting soaked.

Praying mantises are vicious hunters, so I like having her in my strawberry bed. What better way to keep unwanted insects at bay?

I really should think of a name for her. Gertrude, perhaps? That seems too tame somehow....

Real-life zombies: Fascinatingly creepy

Found this guy (gal? -- probably) on our woodpile last week.

Notice how well she blends in with her surroundings.

Praying mantises are fascinatingly creepy. Everything about them -- from their lightening-fast, powerful arms to their propensity to eat their mates to their opportunistic grabbing of prey even as big as hummingbirds -- makes me glad they're only a few inches long.

You know all those zombie movies that are so popular? Well, to me mantises are the zombies of the insect world. They want brains, man. They're slow and fast at the same time. They're relentless in their stalking.

Yep, zombies. "Braaaaaiiiiinnnnnssssss....."