Three images of Praying Mantises.

Top Image: I took this image on Sept 11th. Shortly afterwards, I found its headless body, partially consumed, laying on our front step. I think this is a male Mantis.


I think that this is a female Mantis with its swollen belly full of eggs. This shot was taken about 18 days after the top image.

I recently saw a nature program where they showed the female Mantis eating the male during mating. I did a bit of research on that and found that it is common for female Mantises to cannibalize the male during mating. I thus suspect that the final act of the male in the top photo was to impregnate the female. Boy, am I glad I'm not a Mantis.


Top-view of the female Mantis partially hidden in the Mum flower at our front entrance.