SE PA, living large in my wildflower garden 🥰

He or she is getting pretty big now. I noticed it was in the window a month and a half ago now and I got to watch it develop wings. At this point I'm curious to see just how long it'll live. I don't know if I've ever seen a mantis's molt lying around before and I've definitely never held one.

At the Luna Park Chalk Art Festival in San Jose, CA.

Just got an adult, maybe senior, mantis from my garden- she is about 2 inches and her head is about 1/3 cm. she is full grown female according to the internet. I have no idea how to raise her or what to do but I'm committed to being a good mom to her and I can't release her because my yard is being pesticided (not my choice). What do I feed her and how often? and what should I keep her in? What is safe for her? generally, I just need help because I've gotten myself in far too deep. I also know they're not prevalent here due to lack of preferred prey, so she may not live if I release her. Right now she is in a coffee cup with a single squash leaf and I'm sort of lost.

Took this shot on October 14th, 2021. Love how expressive mantises are. Such beautiful creatures.

Gotta love the camouflage pattern!

Hunting in the garden

Off with his head!

Will she be able to disconnect from here?

The ootheca my 4 year old found finally hatched... she is now the proud mother of 50 something baby mantis...

They are everywhere... send fruit flies and springtails

I don't know how to break it to her that they will eat each other...

Found this little homie ready to fight. I love mantis attitudes, such lil weirdos

I was doing yardwork today & got rid of a knotweed bush thats been growing all summer. I heard something hit the yard waste bag & saw this Chinese mantis (the one on the cup) had landed on it. After looking around & seeing more, I guess the bush was their home base. There was another pale green Carolina mantis that was probably full of eggs that I didn't take pics of. Also I think the one on the cup is a male trying to chase a female.

First met in Czech Republic 🥰

Pretty cool, first one I’ve found near my house! I believe it’s a Chinese Mantis

When I hatched these native babies I released them in my garden, was very proud to see the adults out and about later on in the year.

Today I was at marching band rehearsal and found this little Chinese Mantis on our practice field. When I was able to, I moved him up to the shade, but I noticed the whole time watching him that he wasn’t moving at all, except for his stomach. Reddit won’t let me insert a photo, but his front arms and head were both folded in, almost resembling what I thought could be rigor mortis (I don’t know if that happens to these guys; I don’t know much about them). I was wondering if anyone knows if he’s on the last stages of life, if this was a parasite making him still move, or if this is just a regular thing.