Praying Mantis

So, it turns out that Australia has over 160 species of Praying Mantis. Very cool! For all that I don't like spiders, these are neat creatures!

Hitch hiking on James' shirt pocket.
Waving it's arms fiercely to threaten James.
"I'm going home with you!"

James went biking on Mt. Ainslie one weekend afternoon and picked up a passenger. Brave man, he immediately slowed down and took a picture for his family. I, myself, probably would have screamed with an involuntary flinging motion if I suddenly looked down and saw a giant bug hanging on my shirt pocket, but he knew we would be interested. James had to detach it quite firmly since it really wanted to come home with him.















Then, a couple of days later, I look across the living room to see this large specimen slowly making it's way up the window. Thankfully, outside. Hannah and I rushed over to look. "Big bug!" was the exclamation for the next few days. The mantis climbed all the way up the window and disappeared. However, by the time Allison and Lucy came home from school, it was climbing it's way down again. So they got to see it too! Very neat!

Praying Mantis on our window

Yup, he's big!
Bigger than my palm