Posts Tagged: Mantis religiosa

Will a Praying Mantis Eat a Caterpillar?

Will a praying mantis eat a caterpillar? Short answer: Yes. For several days, we've been watching a resident praying mantis, a female Mantis...

Gulf Fritillaries flutter over a praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, in a passionflower patch in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Gulf Fritillaries flutter over a praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, in a passionflower patch in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ahh! The praying mantis finds a non-fluttering target, a Gulf Fritillary munching on the leaves of a passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ahh! The praying mantis finds a non-fluttering target, a Gulf Fritillary munching on the leaves of a passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Gotcha! The praying mantis stretches her spiked forelegs to reach the caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Gotcha! The praying mantis stretches her spiked forelegs to reach the caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Will a praying mantis eat a caterpillar? Yes. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Will a praying mantis eat a caterpillar? Yes. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Praying mantis rapidly finishing her dinner. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Praying mantis rapidly finishing her dinner. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Once Upon a Praying Mantis...

The three men pause in front of the Kate Frey Pollinator Garden at the Sonoma Cornerstone and begin to read the sign. "The Pollinator Garden by Kate...

A female praying mantis, Mantis religiosa (as identified by praying mantis expert and UC Davis student Lohit Garikipati) is camouflaged in the Kate Frey Pollinator Garden, Sonoma Cornerstone. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A female praying mantis, Mantis religiosa (as identified by praying mantis expert and UC Davis student Lohit Garikipati) is camouflaged in the Kate Frey Pollinator Garden, Sonoma Cornerstone. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"Whoa! No pictures!" The female mantis raises her spiked leg. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"Whoa! No pictures!" The female mantis raises her spiked leg. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"I said no pictures!" The mantis covers her head with a spiked foreleg. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"I said no pictures!" The mantis covers her head with a spiked foreleg. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A sign informs visitors what the Kate Frey Pollinator Garden at Sonoma Cornerstone is all about. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A sign informs visitors what the Kate Frey Pollinator Garden at Sonoma Cornerstone is all about. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A visitor takes images of the Kate Frey Pollinator Garden, Sonoma Cornerstone. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A visitor takes images of the Kate Frey Pollinator Garden, Sonoma Cornerstone. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

How to Find a Praying Mantis

Do you know where your praying mantids are? Water a bush or a plant frequently visited by bees and other pollinators, and if they're in there,...

A male praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, emerges from a pomegranate bush. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, emerges from a pomegranate bush. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A female praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, strikes a pose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A female praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, strikes a pose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Pardon Me, Is This My Best Side?

She's easy to find. A European praying mantis, Mantis religiosa,  hangs out in our passionflower vine, Passiflora, the host plant of the Gulf...

The setting sun backlights the European praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, perched on a passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The setting sun backlights the European praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, perched on a passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The European praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, can be many colors, but this one is a light brown. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The European praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, can be many colors, but this one is a light brown. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The European praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, ponders her next move. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The European praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, ponders her next move. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Read more