A New Zealand Preying Mantis
I spotted some newly hatched preying mantis running around on our front wall,
they are very tiny maybe just over 1cm long. I was most pleased to see the egg
case nearby though as it showed that it was a native mantis and not one of the
slightly larger ones which now seem to dominate. I believe that these intruders
come from South America and entice our local males to mate and become
eaten leaving no offspring.
The egg cases of the foreign ones are bigger and much more untidy and are
often seen around our wall as well, it must be a favourably warm spot although
there is no vegetation closeby.
Here is one baby much larger than actual size.
And another.
And here is the egg case.
All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2016
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