It’s impossible not to be fascinated by this alien-looking insect. I spotted it crawling along the handrail of the lake’s boardwalk. Busy on its prowl for prey, it paused long enough to give the human observer a curious glance.
From whence arrived the praying mantis?
From outer space, or lost Atlantis?
glimpse the grin, green metal mug
at masks the pseudo-saintly bug,
Orthropterous, also carnivorous,
And faintly whisper, Lord deliver us.
~Ogden Nash
walking on a country road 
why was it swaying back and forth Rebecca?
Great shots,I wouldn’t want to be a bug anywhere near that thing!
Thanks, Wayne. Most sources say that one of the main reasons that they sway is to gain depth perception of their surroundings. Apparently they have poor eyesight.
That was my guess as well. I’ve seen other animals do the same thing.
I love Praying Manti.
They are certainly interesting. 🙂
So beautiful.
Thanks!
great pictures of these fascinating animals.
Thank you, Richard. They are intriguing to watch.
über weirdness admirably captured in your video!
⬻𓂀✧ 🔺 ✬ღ☆ 🔺 ∞ ♡ ∞ 🔺 ☆ღ✬ 🔺 ✧𓂀⤖
A good description of this fascinating insect. 🙂
👌👍🌟✨💫
Very cool video, Rebecca. Such a fascinating insect. So glad that they aren’t human-sized! 😀
Thanks, Eliza. Me too!
Great photos and video. These are one of the most fascinating creatures I have ever seen.
Thanks, Mags. I have to agree with you.
You found the perfect bug for the perfect Nash poem. Nice work!
Thanks, Sam!
Ha ha – I agree with your Ogden Nash poem Rebecca! As I viewed your photos, then the video, I thought to myself that this Praying Mantis did look like some outer space alien, especially at the beginning of the video when it looked right at you! I’ve still never been lucky enough to see a Praying Mantis – I hope to one day!
From outer space seems like a good option when you first see one! Your video really shows off all those moving parts, Rebecca, very nice!
Thanks, Ellen!