Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Critters in New Paltz

Grammie has this cute flower garden in front of her apartment. From her enclosed porch we could see a critter on her dahlia plant. Do you see what it is? Bigify the photo for a closer look.

It's a really cute Praying Mantis. I've never seen one in person before. I was so excited to see this pretty mantis. It was gigantic, at least 4 inches long. She was also brown, not vibrant green. I wondered if maybe she was molting.

Grammie told us that this was the 2nd Praying Mantis that visited her garden this summer. She must have tasty bugs!

8 comments:

  1. It's been years since I've seen a mantis here. I like how they look like little pinwheels when they fly and how they change color to suit their surroundings, making them easier to sneak up on their prey. A mantis is good luck! :-D

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  2. I've never seen a praying mantis either. I don't even know if they exist this far north. thanks for the photo, now I know what they look like if I should stumble upon one.

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  3. Bigify. Good word.
    It took me a while to see it. But it's definitely cool.

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  4. I've never seen bigify either until visiting you!

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  5. I haven't seen one in a long time. The more predatory insects, the better in my opinion!

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  6. They blend in to well, I didn't even see it in the first photo. We have those and it seems most bugs here in florida but that one looks really big.

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  7. How about a 'walking stick'? I was just thinking about those the other day. Thanks for sharing, it was fun to see the mantis.

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  8. The mantises change color throughout the season. In spring they're real green, and then they brown up as the colors shift to late season. I think they actually shift in color specific to the plants they are hanging out it.

    The female would be pregnant, with a swollen abdomen.

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