Carolina Mantis

Found this lovely lady on the lid of the trash can when I was checking the mail. She’s a female Carolina mantis, Stagmomantis carolina. She’s a native and a voracious predator, and yes, one of those types of mantis that do eat their mates given half a chance. While she won’t overwinter, odds are good there’s an egg-case somewhere with her name on it, although the odds of my spotting it are nearly nonexistent—Carolina mantis egg-cases look like odd bits of tree bark and unless she actually cemented it to the trash can, I won’t find it.

Quit chasing me around with that cameraphone, mammal! I took out my last four husbands, I'll take you down too!

Originally published at Squash's Garden. You can comment here or there.