Praying Mantis Grooming

Recently Ward and I were outside doing a bit of work when I spotted a praying mantis. The first thing I noticed was that it blended perfectly with the plant it was on. It even had a bit of red on its head to match the red on the leaves. As we were marveling at that, it started to do something that we hadn't seen before. It started to groom itself. At least that's what it looked like. It was biting up and down it's legs and looked just like our cats do sometimes when they are cleaning their legs. And then, ever so cat like, it rubbed it's clean leg over it's head--just like our cats do. We were fascinated.

We had never thought about an insect grooming itself, but that is certainly what it looked like. A quick look on the internet revealed, that yes, indeed, praying mantises do groom themselves. In fact, when I widened the search to include all insects, I found out that grooming is something that many insects do. Who knew? I certainly didn't. From a brief skimming of the articles, it looks like the antennae are what are groomed the most because these are very important in transmitting sensory information. Cock roaches have had several studies done about them in this area.

I don't know if you can make out much from these pictures below, but trust me, it was very interesting to watch. Now I'm going to be on the lookout to see if I can observe grooming in other insects. Do you ever wonder how you can have lived so long and not know anything about something that is very common? It seems to happen a lot to me. I'm not sure what that implies, but I do know that it keeps life interesting.

When you first look, it's hard to see, but notice the praying mantis' triangular head is in the bend of its raised leg. This was part of its leg cleaning.

Notice the praying mantis is biting its leg. It did this all up and down it's leg.

Annie grooming her head and ears. This kind of grooming I'm familiar with.

Want to explore further?

Insects Groom to Improve Their Sense of Smell

Praying Mantis Grooming Video

A Second Look--October 1, 2014

Here are a few things I saw this week 

during a Second Look.

By the time I got outside this week for a Second Look, dusk was approaching. Consequently, it was hard for me to get many good pictures with my unsteady hands and point and shoot camera. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my look.

It's easy to see from this balloon flower bud why it is called a balloon flower.

This is the first mum so far to bloom.

As the mums are beginning to bloom, the sedum is turning darker red while some has already turned brown.

Japanese Maple. Most of our maple trees produce seeds during the early summer. However, the Japanese maple produces them in the early fall.

Poke berries--a favorite of many birds and animals.

Praying mantis hiding in the grass. I've wondered why some praying mantises are green and some are brown. After a bit of research, I couldn't find a definitive answer. In our area, we have several different kinds, and apparently different kinds have different coloring. One site said that if there is good moisture, they are green and if it is dry, they are brown. Another said that as they age they turn from green to brown.

Thankful Sunday, October 20, 2019

I am thankful for little things.

Yesterday was a busy day. Besides yard work, errands, and laundry, we were getting ready for a birthday dinner we were having for my sister.  Throw in a bad cold and it was turning out to be a rather tedious day. 

In the afternoon while I was folding laundry, my son called me to the back deck where he showed me a praying mantis on the railing.  It seemed to be enjoying the sunny spot it found on the cool day. We saw praying mantes frequently at our old house, but this was the first one I had seen in our yard since we moved.

Finding that small wonder of nature made me happy.  Sometimes it's the little things that can bring a smile to my face and for that, I am thankful.

A Second Look--October 3, 2012

I got my feet wet during my Second Look this week because we had some really hard rains yesterday. I enjoyed exploring the rainy yard because raindrops, like snow, make everything look better. 

Here's What I Found During My Second Look this Week.

The rain brought out a new bloom of mushrooms.

Raindrops on bleeding heart leaves.

Raindrops on balloon flower.

 

Raindrop on dwarf Japanese maple leaf.

This is the only bug I found braving the rain. Usually they are everywhere.

Raindrops on Siberian iris leaf.

Spider's web

 

I found this praying mantis on a hydrangea the day before the rain began.

A Second Look--August 8, 2012

A sunflower, that sprouted from birdseed, bloomed this week. Sunflowers certainly are spectacular flowers and this one is no exception. You'll notice that I included more than one picture of it because it makes me smile when I see it. Also, our lone peach continued to ripen. I picked it today after I found a small bite out of the back of it. I hope that I get to have a bite also.

Here's what I saw this week during a Second Look.

Volunteer sunflower

Praying mantis nymph and ants on sunflower

Our lone peach is ripening.

Male house finch

Celosia

Look, more crisscrossing spirals for Ward.

I can't get enough of this sunflower.

A Second Look--August 6, 2014

Here's what I saw this week during a Second Look.

I'm starting to get large holes in my basil. This katydid may be partly responsible for that.

On the same basil plant, this small praying mantis was hiding under some leaves.

The bees always love these celosia plants as do the ants. Notice the black spots (ants) at the base of the whitish bloom in the right of the picture.

Unfortunately, the Japanese beetles are also enjoying the day lilies. I managed to get this one off before it did too much damage.

Asparagus berries. I used to have wild asparagus growing several places in my yard. I assume it was "planted" by birds. A few years ago, I dug it all up and planted it in one bed. There's not enough to eat, but they are beautiful plants with  frilly leaves and red berries.

The wrens have just about grown up.

This is the first fawn I've seen in our yard this year although it may have been helping to eat some of our plants when I wasn't looking.

A Second Look--August 27, 2014

While there are still flowers blooming, most things are starting to look a little ragged.  Some foliage is turning brown and what once were large vistas of flowers are now just a few here and there. Fall is definitely coming. The birds are still abundant at the feeders, but that population should be changing in the next month or so as the migration south begins. I am going to be especially sad to see the hummingbirds go. While we have seen them every year around our lilies, this has been the first year we have had a feeder right outside our window to watch. Their little bodies and humming wings continue to amaze me.

Here are some things I saw this week 

during a Second Look.

Praying mantis on Blackeyed Susan

This is one of a couple of day lilies that are still blooming.

Little bees are enjoying the balloon flowers that continue to bloom.

Late spring we planted a spindly tomato plant in a pot by our back door. It just now producing its first tomatoes--but they are beauties.

I cut back the Rozanne Geranium and it is now having a resurgence of blooms.

I thought that this caterpillar was heading for the grass until I took a second look and saw ants foraging around it. Then I wasn't so sure that it was heading anywhere anymore.

Most of these birds should hang around for the winter. (L-R Carolina wren, chickadee, mourning dove, downy woodpecker, goldfinch, cardinal

All God's Creatures

Well, actually just a few of them that I see in my yard.

This is the latest addition to our bird feeder. Cute, but very piggy. The ironic thing is that my neighbor loves chipmunks and puts food out for them, but he has only visited her once.

We used to think that this squirrel could empty the feeder pretty fast until the chipmunk showed up.

This male finch is one of the intended visitors to the feeder.

For a couple of weeks this juvenile mourning dove lived under the feeder. 

This was the last day in the nest for these baby robins.

A house wren makes a nest in this box every year. Sometimes it's a decoy nest and sometimes it gets eggs and babies like this year.

Birds aren't the only things hatching these days. This baby praying mantis I found on my porch was only about 3/8"  (~ 1 cm) long.

Bumble bee on bachelor's button. The number of bees seems to be down this year. That may have something to do with the hard freeze we had in May.

I don't have any pictures to show you of the rabbits that are enjoying our peas or the deer that are eating our tomatoes. Maybe next time.

A Second Look--August 31, 2011

Here in the East, we've had an interesting week with both an earthquake and a hurricane. So in this week's Second Look around the yard, I decided to focus on the things that have the best chance of surviving the wrath of Mother Nature--Bugs.

Skipper butterfly on zinnia

Praying mantis on side of house

Bumble bee on basil blossom

Stink bug on hosta leaf

Well-camouflaged walking stick in grass (See next picture for a hint of where it is.)

Looks like it has lost one of it's back legs.

Robber fly caught in spider's web on side of garage.

House fly in field, not in our house.

Green lacewings on maple limb. 

Ants rebuilding their hills in driveway crack after storm

Thanks to Daniel Marlos at  What's that Bug? for helping me identify the robber fly.