Baby Mantids!

Two of our egg cases have started hatching, yay!

In the back yard...

And in the front!

You can see the egg case in the middle right...

I got these off ebay, six total from the eastern US. They are supposed to be BIG mantids, so far I'd agree, these babys are huge. Two of them were boxing each other last night, thankfully they haven't started to eat each other yet. One egg case in the front yard and one in the back each hatched, the other four nothing yet--but I'm optimistic they'll produce. I was pruning the white rose bush when I noticed the babies, so all pruning work is suspended for now.

Praying Mantises...mantids? What the Hell IS the plural, anyway...? Whatever, they rock, and BABY mantids doubly so. They are like my personal little assassin ninja squad, being sent out into the garden to do my bidding. Bad bugs, look out!

Fly, my pretties! FLY!