Praying Mantises

As you can see, praying mantises have somewhat triangular faces.
This mantis was found in a tall patch of grass in our flowerbed.

    The praying mantis is one of the many mantid species.They were not native here, but ships brought them to New York in 1899. They eventually migrated to the eastern United States. A full grown mantid is usually 3 to 5 five inches long, with females typically being larger. Camouflage is their main defense. They range from light brown to green, so they blend in well and are hard to see. Their prey cannot see them easily. When praying mantises hunt for food, they often sit patiently with their hands together like they are praying, hence the name. They wait for prey to come by, then they jump faster than the eye can see and seize it with the spines on their front legs. sometimes. Female mantises lay their eggs in large groups, usually in the winter. You can find them on trees or shrubs after the leaves have fallen off. The eggs are light brown and striped.

A green praying mantis
This one was found on the side of our house.

Enjoy,

C&T