This afternoon Katie arrived at the icehouse and called me down to the deck outside the vestibule. She showed me this beautiful praying mantis walking north-to-south along the top step.
Fluorescent green tinged with orange, a big bug imperfectly camouflaged against the patinaed garapa decking. And she knew it, I suspect. Her hustle accelerated once I bent down to take a closer look. She “disappeared” into the ornamental grass where she was exceptionally well hidden.
Always a treat when I get to witness a praying mantis! Thank you, Katie.
Let’s see what Wikipedia’s collective wisdom tells us about this distinctive bug.
The European mantis (Mantis religiosa) is a large hemimetabolic insect in the family of the Mantidae (‘mantids’)… Their common name praying mantis is derived from the distinctive posture of the first pair of legs that can be observed in animals in repose. It resembles a praying attitude… The most striking features that all Mantodea share are a very mobile, triangular head with large compound eyes and their first pair of legs (the ‘raptorial legs’), which is highly modified for the efficient capture and restraint of fast-moving or flying prey. (Source: Wikipedia)
It’s that last detail in the description that makes the praying mantis an especially welcome member of our Rosslyn wildlife sanctuary, helping to keep the insect population in good balance.
Praying Mantis Poem
Parading proud,
ostentatious,
flaunty-jaunty,
a mini martian
traverses step
edge of deck edge
in broad sunlight
so colorful,
so visible,
so swift, now so
invisible
amongst the blades
of grass arcing
in cathedral
shadow arches
for afternoon
prayers. Amen.
What do you think?