Tuesday, August 04, 2009

garden discoveries.


As many of you know, we hatched a praying mantis egg sac this spring, and released the tiny mantises into the garden. For a few days we could see the tiny insects on the leaves, and then we saw fewer and fewer until nothing. I figured some were bird food, but that some must have made it and be getting pretty big by now.


Today I was watering and saw a movement on a leaf and sure enough, there was a large green praying mantis! The boys were SO EXCITED to see one this big - it is over 4" long, and would turn its head to look right at us as we bent in to see. We got to watch as it stalked and lurched at a giant brown grasshopper. Wow. The boys went back out to look over and over and over again today. I know what we'll be doing tomorrow!

12 comments:

tara said...

it's crazy watching them eat... like they're enjoying some corn on the cob! How great that some of them hung out in your garden~ I think we may have to do this project.

tiff said...

what a photo...AMAZING!

animal lover, quilt lover said...

What a great great picture!!If I were you I would enlarge that and put it in my wall!! It is wonderful!
Hugs Fern

Lisa said...

Cool photo, Denise! They are fascinating creatures!

Michelle said...

That is so great for the boys. Glas you spotted one. I wonder how many survived?

Sam said...

Wow, what a beauty! How cool.

Pussnae said...

Aren't they the coolest things! It's so fun to watch them.

Stephanie said...

I would love to see them in action!

Heather said...

Wow, what a shot! Aren't they fun to watch. We've seen them in our old garden on rare occasions but have never tried hatching them, that sounds like a fun project.

Anonymous said...

How exciting! The other day my eagle-eyed son spotted a small mantis in the grass as we walked home from our parking spot. I don't know how he does that!

Alis said...

one of my fondest bug memories of childhood was stumbling across a praying mantis on the street on my way home from school. They are magnificent insects, thanks for documenting!

Dawn said...

Fantastic! They are such cool insects! Love the new header...
:)