Wow, that's a big one! I try to find their egg cases and move them to where they will do the most good.

John, it is a large one. We have fields full of them. I found a few cases last season but left them out there as not to disturb them. They have plenty to eat in the fields. I imagine this one came through an open window.

Oops, I just posted the same picture twice. Sorry..

Beautiful Jinnylea the second pick really looks like it's praying.

Brian

I love those guys. I often see them around my yard but did not see many this summer for some reason. I may need to order egg cases to restock the neighborhood ;-). Another insect I have been seeing a lost these last couple of weeks are monarch butterflies. They absolutely LOVE the citrus blosssoms and often find 3-4 at a time in my yard around my trees. We are in the migration path now and I have seen them all around town. I am so happy that I can provide a pit stop for them on their way south.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsyZ7mfq11A

turn the sound off to avoid some rough language an enjoy the video. no one is hurt in this video

Loved that video Steve ! Those PMs are tough and fun to watch. When I was a little kid, I'd cage them for a day and feed them grasshoppers.

Send 'em over here! We have so many spiders. My sister in law's house has a few praying mantis and we got a video of one demolishing a cricket. It was pretty gruesome! They're very cool looking creatures.

Lol Steve! So Vladimir, I guess my citrus jungle is serving as a Starbucks pit stop for all the monarchs ;-)

We have them every year on the deck..., really, really big ones. In fact, I recoiled when I saw one a few days ago until I realized what it was. Been very, very, very mild so if I see her again, will post pics.

Regarding monarchs, we have seen lots of them this summer. My tropical milkweeds are still in full bloom in NJ zone 7a. Saw monarchs recently, will be on the look out for them this weekend as temps reach 80 F and summer refuses to call it quits. All my citrus are tropicals are still outside.

Jurasico, mine are all outside and loving it! It is wonderful because we have been having cool enough temperatures to make me happy but still warm enough for them. I must have had 50+ monarchs pass through my citrus jungle today fueling up. Sometimes there are as many as four to five on one tree! We are lucky because when one tree stops blooming, another starts, so there is a continuous supply at least for a while. I have not seen praying mantises this year in my yard like other years. I will order egg sacks next spring to build up the population ;-)

Mine are always in the area of the deck. Not sure of their lifestyle but wonder if they overwinter under the deck. We just need RAIN, been so dry (just like last year when the reservoirs were nearly empty. Saw the winter forecast and they are calling for temp about 5 degrees above normal (like last year) and above average rainfall (again like last year). Only tropicals I brought inside are the tropical Ficus, Diffenbachia and Aglaonemas, and most tender palms (Coconuts, Hyophorbes, Adonidia/Veithchia), mango and papaya. I like the weather with the exception of the aridity. As long as it's seasonal I can cope, but would HATE a dry climate. I love the rain and the snow and the lushness they bring too much.

Love the video but I guess I could not have watched one of my cats playing with a mantis and rescued it before getting out of hands. Here, almost every bug that is moving, gets killed. And if the cat team doesn't get it, they call the dog team until the jop is done.

We have two beehives but during the summer no flowers. Now that they are all in, flower buds everywhere.

I saw Mantis egg sacks on Amazon. So, how does it work? Do I need to put them in a specific place? What is the best time for that in Cali?

In the Bay Area? Whenever it gets warm in the spring/ summer. They don’t like cold weather and there needs to be enough bugs for them to eat because they’re carnivores. I usually start seeing the eggs hatched out here in the desert around March when we are beginning to warming up.

Put a drop of superglue on the base and stick them on or near where you want them to work. If they are successful and find lot of food, they will make their own egg sacs for the next year. If you find some of your own, a putty knife will remove them for moving.

Jinnylea beautiful action pics love it

Brian