This thing is some kind of Walking Stick bug, but, he had a neon green leaf like edge around his abdomen. He was very patient with me, but, I still couldn't get a good pic of him. He was about six inches long (my fingers were farther away than it looks, trust me). I've never seen one that big. He was hanging out in the Pampas Grass. For some reason, I'm not scared of these, but, they do freak me out a little when they turn their head and look at you. Bleee-ya! Come on, that's a big friggin' bug. Alien bug.
17 comments:
praying mantis!!! i have DOZENS of them in my yard every year! and contrary to myths, the females do not necessarily eat a male's head after mating!! we sat and watched one summer a few years ago and it didn't happen!
Praying mantis was my first thought too miss tia.
We had a huge leaf bug the other day. My husband called me over like a little kid. It was about the palm of my hand and it was just walking down a stick. Very good camoflauge.
I have those in my garden also. They are wonderful for your garden. What you were seeing was probably it shedding it's skin. They do that a few times a season.
The nurseries around here actually sell the mantis eggs. I think they are like 3 for 15.00.
I would have guessed Praying Mantis. There is a hefty fine for killing those. I'm not sure why there is a fine.
I dunno...I kinda like how they turn their heads and look at things, it makes them less bug-y. I think they have cute faces and they do a world of good in gardens.
you should see 'em when they show their 'wings'!
they ironically don't bother me. never seen one though - CUTE ring too! Emeralds are my signature stone :)
definitely a praying mantis..when we were kids we use to catch them all the time, play with them for the day, then let them go again..i love them.
Some kind of Mantis, yeah, but, he was real different.
Okay, looked him up and he's not so rare. I'd never seen one that color. Most of the ones around here are bright green. Some people had pics of him on their face and that freaked me right the fuck out.
Praying mantis!!! Love them :-) They can change their color to match their surroundings. Those are bugs that I like. They love to eat bees. I've stunned bees and held them to a praying mantis to grab. They are so fast. There is one living in my clematis. I hope its a momma mantis and I have lots of babies next spring.
I usually put one in my big balcony planter and feed them a grasshopper every other day...they clean up any bad bugs for me so I don't have to spray. They seem so intelligent, and my little grandchildren think grandma is so cool to have a pet praying mantis.
Miss tia,
I never knew they could fly!
Definitly learning things here. Didn't know they fly. They still freak me out.
They are actually quite sweet...they usually stay still for hours at a time, but can really move when they need to. They can fly, but not far...I've only seen one fly and we have lots here. They are really good for your garden, but will eat any bugs and bees they ambush.
Well, look here. I saw this post the other day and thought praying mantis and got distracted and forgot that the post was here.
There are stick bugs, though. I saw one years ago and I swear it was a foot long and it did look just like a stick. That was weird. I love the way the babies look exactly like their parents as soon as they are born. I, too, don't think of them as a "bug", but a creature with intelligence and a FACE!
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