Summer of Bugs

 This tiny but fascinating creature is a baby praying mantis, one of many I have found this summer. This one was probably only a few weeks old. However  its innocence hides a dark secret. This mantis is the product of one of the most violent mating rituals in the animal world, in which the female bites off the male's head to move along the process. Still, they are cute when they are small.

When they grow up however, its a very different story, they ambush prey with their forelimbs and slice it apart with their razor sharp jaws. While watching a nature program I saw a large mantis try to ambush a baby rat snake. The snake managed to twist free before either combatant was seriously injured. This was a testament  to the mantis's boldness, that and the fact is eyes were bigger than its stomach..
 

Still -- no news on the turtles...  Will keep you posted.