Pray to the Mantis
Hello Bug Master.
My daughter and I just found your wonderful site while searching for the name of a bug we commonly see in the northeast but didn’t find the exact species so I will be sure to photograph it next time. I thought everyone might enjoy these shots of this most majestic creature. I was walking in a field of golden rod and wild asparagus enjoying breathtaking views of the Hudson river under the Catskill mountains when my eyes focused on a cluster of brilliant goldenrod and I saw the largest Mantis I could imagine. As I stood still watching in amazement I realized that there were dozens of them all around me warming in the sun waiting for an unsuspecting dragonfly or beetle to wonder past. Truly memorable experience.
Thank-you for creating this wonderful site!
Christopher Waterous
Hi Christopher,
Thank you for the compliment. We remember fondly growing up in Ohio and seeing fields of goldenrod in the fall. On many of the flower tops there awaited huge Preying Mantids waiting for bees, wasps, grasshoppers and locust borers.