The Praying Mantis

The office in our home is where Joan and I spend most of our time during the day. My computer and I face the wall where there are two windows that look out upon our lawn and three of the six other houses in our neighborhood. The windows provide a lot of entertainment because of the animals that pass by them -- squirrels, rabbits, cats, deer, spiders, bees, hummingbirds, song birds, and recently -- a Praying Mantis.

The Mantis (a female, judging by the large size) has apparently found the hunting in our rose bushes to be profitable. She blends perfectly with the leaves and stems of the bush, even when she strikes the characteristic front legs up "praying" position.

As a species, the Praying Mantis is carnivorous and will eat anything, but mostly crickets, flies and grasshoppers. In turn, they are preyed upon by bats and birds.

They have some interesting behaviours and abilities. Their heads can rotate 180 degrees, and with three eyes, they can spot movement up to 60 feet away. Perhaps their most unusual behaviour -- and for which they are known -- is that the female will eat the male either during or immediately after mating!

Even knowing this, the male goes for it. I'll let the reader supply your own last line here.