I feel your pain. I discovered this myself, just this summer. Yep....praying mantises. They are great at hiding. Sorry! :)

Yes, that sad pile of plucked wings is exactly why mantids aren't allowed in my gardens. The bees are another good reason.

When I think of all the beneficial insects that I see in my yard, why would I ever welcome something that devours them? They aren't interested in aphids, whiteflies or spider mites.....my primary pests.

Yes praying mantis. Caught this huge guy eating one of my older male Monarchs. It was horrific but part of nature. Everyone has to eat.

Great picture!

Ooooh, poor thing. I hate seeing that. I actually found a dead Monarch just outside my apartment building tonight. I actually have him in my bedroom now, although I probably won't keep him forever. He looks perfectly intact and beautiful, so I don't know what could have happened.

I wonder if this guy is the invasive Asian mantis. I believe they are supposed to be large and all green. They are responsible for killing hummingbirds and other small birds.

Alex, Monarchs only live for a few weeks.

OMG didn’t realize it could be the invasive Asian or Chinese praying mantis eating my Monarch! can anyone ID? I just found 2 clusters of eggs nearby. Don’t know the species of the eggs. Should I destroy? update: Found out sadly yes it’s an invasive Chinese mantis but the egg case “Ootheca“ is native! Hurrah! The other one I found is Chinese. (not pictured)

I saw something like this in my garden too but it looked like only one got it. For something that is suppose to be poisonous and bad tasting with colors that warn predators not to eat them - a lot of things eat monarchs.