Spotted in the Garden...

As it is with many people I suspect, a good part of my day is spent at the kitchen sink. As much of a drudge as this can sometimes be, I have to say that it isn’t always a bad thing. Aside from prepping food and washing dishes, time spent at the sink also allows me time to watch the comings and goings in the back garden. Usually, this will be the bees and paper wasps going about their business, and the birds that flit in and out of the trees, and of the course the cats in their various guises; you know, hunters, lazy loll abouts, bored or interested spectators. Occasionally though, there will be something unusual; something like this amazing lady I spotted on the fence, whilst washing up one day last week.

 

Although praying mantis’ are fairly common in our garden, I don’t recall ever seeing one this size. Actually because of her size, I wasn’t sure what she was until I went outside to have a closer look. Apparently there are quite a few species of mantis that call Perth home, and going on this description, I think she may be a False Garden Mantis (but I'm not sure).

Checking again around dusk, I found her laying her eggs. When freshly constructed this casing was pale blue, but as it hardened, it changed to brown. Apparently this case or ootheca, holds 300 to 400 eggs, and the baby mantis' should hatch sometime around New Year.

 

Pray mantis are carnivorous. Hopefully they're born with a taste for grasshoppers!