Hobbit Praying Mantis

 

We are so quick to use insecticides in our gardens or to whip out the Doom to rid ourselves of that spider in our bathroom that we don't know the damage it does. Because of all our pets at home we make a point never to use insecticides in our home and garden. We care for all the creatures that share our space even those we don't like.

Take this little fella, I am not sure if it is a baby or a fully grown hobbit sized praying mantis. I found it this morning when I was about to fill up the watering can to give the dogs fresh water in their bowls. As the water gushed out of the tap into the watering can, I saw this little fella as s/he got washed into the can. I immediately stopped and poured the water out and fished out the hobbit sized insect, and called Lynda over to come see. After taking this photo we gentle put it onto the lemon tree which is outside our kitchen door.

Please remember not only do we have birds, butterflies, snakes, spiders, bees, and hobbit mantises but also faeries that visit our gardens.  

Baby Prayer

Day 3 on I am on track for recovery from this man flu as the banging on a tin roof sound in my ears have being reduced to something similar to waves on a beach but only in the 1 ear. More bearable I think. 

Dale came in late afternoon while working in the vegetable garden carrying this little creature, a small praying mantis. Not sure if this is just a small species of praying mantis or if it is still a baby praying mantis. Thank goodness that we don't use insecticide in our garden as it has become a paradise for butterflies, chameleons, and other beautiful creatures such as this little guy. 

Thin and Fat Visitors

Living out in the country side away from the city bustle has a lot of advantages and a few disadvantages such as extra kilometres to get anywhere but I do feel that the good outweigh the bad.

The badness of the flies that are attracted to the cattle is outweighed by the strange insects that come and visit. Today we got visitors from both fat and thin beautiful creatures.

At first I thought it was a baby stick insect, I have seen them grow longer than my hand in Mozambique, but this little creature turned out to be a well camouflage praying mantis although against the white window frame doesn’t help much.

Later a very large beetle, a Dicronorrhina Derbyana or aka an Emerald Fruit Chafer Beetle, came buzzing in much to the delight of the cats but this strange visitor sensed the danger and headed for the pear tree. With the cats up the tree looking for it, I took some photos but it wasn’t easy to focus on due to all the leaves and branches in the way. Again camouflage helped this fat beetle to stay out of the cats reach while it tried to hone in of the fruit.

Praying Mantis

Oh naughty Mantis, you better be praying after eating your husband. Delia found this heavily pregnant Praying Mantis in the garden and she became our photo of the day. Female Mantodea are known to cannibalise on the male during or soon after copulation. I bet he tasted like chicken.