Praying Mantis drops in on Punditty

Oct. 20, 2009

So there I was, just minding my own business as I entered the laundry room - and what falls at my feet but a praying mantis? Apparently, I knocked the little critter from his perch without seeing him when I placed my hand in the doorway.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, I used to see them frequently on the screen porch of my old Missouri home, but I honestly can't recall seeing one since moving to California in 1993.

It was a pleasant surprise, and even more so when the neighbor kids (ages 7 and 3) showed up for a look. Their mom said they had seen a mantis a few days earlier, but she wasn't sure if it was the same one or not.

After grabbing my trusty camera and snapping a couple pictures, I decided to research this insect a bit and learned that larger mantises will actually eat small lizards, frogs and snakes. Come to think of it, I haven't seen any lizards, frogs or snakes in the backyard lately either. Hmmm.

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Pray tell, Punditty, is that insecticide or your breakfast at punditty.com ?

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