Marjorie’s mantis
Marjorie took this picture of a beautiful pale green mantis. I have seen only brown toned ones in my yard. In autumn, the female mantids lay eggs, attaching them to a sturdy stem, branch or leaf with a foamy substance that hardens and protects the eggs over the winter. The egg cases have a name: ootheca, and companies that sell these egg cases as “beneficial insects” for gardeners, will be harvesting these. If you already have your own mantids, lucky you if you are plagued with garden pests. They are voracious hunters that will eat anything that doesn’t eat them first. The typical preying mantis only lives about 6 months, so the adult lifecylce is winding down this season.
