Behold mantis religiosa, better known as the European praying mantis. I’ve always liked these creatures, despite their reputation as spouse-murdering, sibling-consuming cannibals. They are an excellent example of the amazing things nature can come up with.
This guy was photographed outside of my workplace in the early afternoon of November 4, 2014. Given the brown pigment, this particular one is probably a male. It was roughly five inches from cranium to rump, and wasn’t taking any guff from anyone. He even gave me a “threat display” after I moved him from the busy sidewalk to the relative safety of the stone fence.
So much for gratitude.
Other creatures from Mt. Pony: