Here is the next installment of mantis for you, the pale brown sandy coloured European mantis. This was the one we saw the most of, despite it blending in so well. Once you get used to spotting them my eyes would pick them out. Even seeing them when they weren’t actually there, lots of sticks and grasses got mistaken for one at first. All photos taken with my Nikon D5500.

They are very delicate and graceful, wonderful to watch.

They also have rather large wings tucked in neatly behind them, which completely freaked me out the first time one flew as I didn’t know. However much I like photographing nature, I still jump out of my skin when one of them does something unexpected.

And even weirder than I first thought, their eyes turn purple at night. Very cool.

(c) K Wicks