Praying Mantis

Praying Mantis are very common in gardens in Cyprus. They live on insects and are very beneficial to have on your plants as they keep aphids and other plant pests under control.

Praying Mantis are green or tan, camouflaging them among plants. Like all insects, they have 6 jointed legs, a three part body (head, thorax, and abdomen), 2 antennae, large compound eyes, and a hard exoskeleton. Mantids can rotate their triangular-shaped head in almost a full circle. Praying Mantids have a flexible, elongated prothorax that looks like a neck and increases their head mobility. Most adult mantids are from 2 to 6 inches (5-15 cm) long. Females are larger than the males.

The picture is of Mantis on my garden fence. I love these funny looking creatures, they look like little aliens.
I love to see the tiny baby mantids scuttling among my plants in the spring.