And, please stop looking at me like that.
You may have known this was a praying mantis. The triangular head and huge 3D eyes may have given it away. Seeing the whole body outline as it clung to my window screen made it easy for me to identify. I saw the praying front arms.
At least once a year I have praying mantis visits in the front or back of my home. I was waiting and looking forward to seeing this awesome guest. Today was the day. We hung out for a few hours.
We became friends. So, just like usual, I searched the internet for more information about my new friend. (Just kidding, I don’t google people I meet, but I know a lot of people who do.)
In this instance, I did google the praying mantis. It’s true what they say about the female praying mantis. She is known to bite the head off of the male after mating. It has also been documented that they pierce the head of small birds, such as hummingbirds, and eat their brains.
Off with their heads! That old saying from the Queen in Alice in Wonderland takes on a whole new meaning after meeting a praying mantis. Luckily their jaws aren’t powerful enough to bite a human.
Thanks for reading! I hope everyone meets new friends that are awemazing.
If you are someone that likes to google your new friends, read more about the praying mantis here or here.
One last interesting fact: The black dot in the praying mantis eye is not a real pupil. It is an optical illusion.
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