Mama Bear and I were walking with Frank in his backyard when we noticed this big insect climbing on the house. This large Praying Mantis is close to 6 inches long and did not like it when I picked him up. So I respected his space and took a short video of him as he moved around in the weeds.
Their elongated Mantis bodies may or may not have wings, but all have forelegs that are greatly enlarged and adapted for catching and gripping prey. The common name, Praying Mantis, comes from the typical "prayer-like" posture with folded forelimbs, and their closest relatives are the termites and cockroaches.
Mantis info
Mantises are mostly ambush predators and the females sometimes practice sexual cannibalism, eating their mates after copulation. The Mantis normally lives about one year, laying eggs in autumn, dying afterwards.
Mantis info
Photos & video by @paradise-found
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