More wildlife -last night as we were sitting having a glass of wine a tiny praying mantis walked onto the table, we have seen big ones but not one this small maybe it is a young one or a small species, there are over 2000 species of the Family Mantidae, so i dont think we will identify it that easily.
Mary screamed, there is a great big insect on the coffee machine, sure enough crawling round on top was a Praying Mantis, so named for the way they stand with their claws in the praying position. there are about 2000 species worldwide, this one was an Iris Oratorio.
They are a carniverous insect, eating mainly insects, and they will eat each other. When threatened, praying mantids stand tall and spread their forelegs with their wings fanning out wide and mouths open. The fanning of the wings is used to make the mantis seem larger and to scare the opponent, with some species having bright colors and patterns on their hind wings and inner surfaces of their front legs for this purpose. If harassment persists, the mantis will then strike with their forelegs and attempt to pinch, bite or slash. They also may make a hissing sound.
