I totally believe there are aliens among us. She’s a big one! Hubby’s hand for reference.

Unusual that she’s hiding, they mostly watch my every move intently. 😳🫣👽 #ISeeAliens

@NorCalCherylLyn I remember learning as a child that the male praying mantis has the equivalent of a basic brain in his private parts just in case his girlfriend wants to bite his head off before he's finished having sex. Next time people talk about men having a brain in their dicks, there's one species where this is sort of correct. 🤣 They are cute though, like many bugs. 💗

@Cynanthrope they mostly just freak me out. Had many, many, of them over the years on a plant underneath my porch light. They loved the access to food there.

The way they watch you…head turning any way you do make them seem much more intelligent that most bugs.

And I found out the eat the cute little tree frogs, turn them into dried up frog chips. 😢 I have a photo somewhere of a huge female with 4-5 headless male corpses clinging to her. 😱

@NorCalCherylLyn if you still have that picture, my morbid curiosity would like to see this! 😁 They aren't found in the UK to my knowledge, so I have never found any in the garden. I'd be worried about the poor thing if I did, as someone has probably lost a pet.

@NorCalCherylLyn not surprised that they eat tree frogs. Praying mantises are pretty ruthless hunters and eat each other if need be, even if they are not mating. If they can catch it, they will eat it. I'm glad that they're not human sized given their nature - that would be horrific and they would cease to be cute bugs. For true nightmare fuel, look up the parasitic hookworms that they get. I don't know how they even fit in the host!

@Cynanthrope they get worms?!? I’ll look them up when I calm down from the idea. 🫣😄