Praying for Prey

The praying mantis is a fascinating creature. People consider it more intelligent than other insects because of its mannerisms. E.g., a mantis will turn its head to look at you and then gently rock back and forth as it seems to consider your intentions.

The praying mantis symbolizes patience, stillness, and focus; attributes it displays while hunting for other insects. It is a beneficial insect to have in your yard. The front legs of a mantis are specially evolved for grasping prey and it strikes from a “praying-like” posture. I find the contrasting ideas of “praying” and “hunting” amusing. No doubt we see this in human behavior. When one lands on you, it is said to be your spirit animal. Hopefully, it is not your spirit animal when it comes to mating as the male mantis sometimes ends up being dessert. There are worse ways to go I guess.

Insect fact: The egg case of a praying mantis is called an ootheca.

^{A post about a metallic wasp:
https://steemit.com/nature/@lightrhythm/don-t-come-back-as-a-roach}

^{All photos by me.}