Praying Mantis ~ 2009

[Andy P]

This thread is for everyone with new Mantis pics. Add 'em as you get 'em.
June 2, 2009. Here they come ! ! !

(Click on images to see larger.)

[Andy P]

I've been checking this egg case often, waiting for this. I missed it the last 2 years, no wonder, it all happens within a couple of hours.

Lots of them.

Hanging out to dry.

[Andy P]

This was the egg case last fall.

There are many types of mantis, these are Chinese Mantids.

[DebinSC]

I love the one of them all hanging upside down.

[Andy P]

Mid afternoon. They scatter quickly to avoid their cannibal siblings.
A brave new world.

These are from the egg case on a rose bush, standing on Daffodil leaf. Both cases hatched the same morning.

[thymewarp13]

Well, I've joined the inner circle of Mantis 2009 members as I discovered this past week while searching for Creepy Crawlers for the weekly challenge, that I do in fact have some little mantids in my yard. My first sighting was on a Joe Pye Weed leaf, a spot where I've never seen mantises before.

Although I had only this solo sighting on June 9th, I discovered more on the 10th....some in a nearby Southernwood Artemisia shrub, and more about 15 feet away in the Abelia Grandiflora, a holly bush, and a spirea bush.

I've got a very active and voracious bird population in my yard, so I'm just hoping they allow me the pleasure of watching a few of the little ones mature to adulthood so I can enjoy them and get some great pics as well.

[Andy P]

Nice shots of these little guys, TW. I suspect the birds are their most dangerous enemy at this stage.
I've spotted a couple this past week on the Japanese Yews in the front of the house. They must be the ones from the Rose bush hatch. The ones in the back yard landed in the strawberry patch, a favored feeding area for birds.

[GTO]

birds are for sure....saw birds eating aphids off a rose bush and who knows there may have been mantises there...have yet to see any this year

[DebinSC]

Yours are a little older than Andy's. I'm sure some will make it!

[thymewarp13]

I sure hope you're right, Deb.

On the second day of sightings I saw two molted mantis skins and meant to come back to take a shot of them. I forgot to do it and heavy rains overnight must has washed them away as I can no longer see them.

Even with the ones that I'm seeing there is a difference in size. I'm guessing two main factors can be at play here: date of emergence and how well they've been eating. Actually, I think the two in my pics photograph larger than they really are.

I've never seen the birds eat one of the little ones, but once the mantises get older and bigger and I've bonded with them for a few months, it really hurts to see a 'friend' get gobbled up by a bird. That's happened only once or twice, and it was out of my control.

[DebinSC]

I saw 1 little one yesterday. I hope there are more. I don't know if any of the ones that hatched in the house survived. Fingers crossed!

[thymewarp13]

Good luck with yours. I had almost forgotten about your 'in-house experience'.

[Andy P]

Two weeks old.