This preying mantis was photographed on the steps of my deck Wednesday afternoon. The fake insect in the background was added to merely provide a back ground for the real carnivorous bug.

According to www.animals.nationalgeographic.com these green or brown insects patiently wait in ambush ready to snatch up their quarry. With an eye sight capable of seeing movement 60 feet away, grasshoppers, flies, crickets and moths are commonly stalked by the mantis making them a great natural pest control in the garden. However it is common for the adult female mantis to eat the male after or even during mating, yet this does not deter the adult male from reproduction. If a male does survive being a possible meal the preying mantis can live up to 12 months in the wild.