Please and Thank you!! I should have said

Possibly the Chinese Mantis, common back east.

They're great for getting rid of garden pests.

It should be explained that Chinese mantids are a completely equal opportunity predator. They are very successful killers of bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. In warm climates, they will grab anoles and small amphibians. There are numerous videos online of these big Chinese mantids capturing hummingbirds at feeders.

I began eliminating these insects from my gardens many years ago, as I rely heavily on beneficial insects in my gardens and adore watching my flower areas so alive with butterflies. Once I began to notice piles of butterfly wings under my annuals and perennials......that was IT!

The much smaller native mantids don't cause these issues. Unfortunately, these big, imported bad guys also attack and eliminate our native species.

How do you eliminate them?