Nice shot! I love to see them too. I haven't seen one all year yet. :o(

Larry, did you know that adult and nymph mantids are also a favorite host/prey of the cursed little tachinid fly, too?
I've seen plenty of this growing up.

Awesome Larry! Those eyes are something else. I just got myself a copy of Kaufmans insects of North America. I was reading about mantis and didn't realize that we had native mantids. So your post is timely.
So many bugs...so little time.
-Elisabeth

I helped my young son raise mantis many years ago. I think I enjoyed it as much as he did. Thanks for the nice picture.

I love to look at mantids - the way they move their heads back and forth is weird! - but I don't care for the way they lie in wait in the garden looking for butterflies to snatch!
I can't remember the ones here having black eyes, like yours - I'll look at their eyes more closely next time I see one.
And it's quite a surprise to hear they get parasitized by tachinid flies, TW! I'll never forget the time I brought in some tobacco hornworms to raise and got jillions and jillions of those gross flies instead of moths!
Sherry

Sherry, that is so sad. The fly is why manduca sexta is nearly extinct in central to south central Oklahoma and is common throughout Okla, TX and KS. Grrrrr!!!!

BTW, I hope you killed all those nasty flies.