It's been a long time since I've posted here! Our summer ritual of hosting exchange students was a bit more hectic than usual this year, and the mantises have been really keeping me busy as well. I kept seventeen of them in the end. One of them died, and shortly after I found a beautiful jade-colored one in the garden. She was phenomenally unhappy being kept inside, though, and even five days after all the others had molted, she still wouldn't, so I decided it was best to turn her loose. Two of them I gave to a friend, and another two or three will soon be gone to another friend and my dad. I can't believe how much joy they've brought me in just a few months. Here's a few pictures of some of them.
This is Kaoru, whose name in Japanese means "a face of lapis lazuli". She's so photogenic; the second I took her out of her jar she jumped to my hand and started posing.
This one is Murdoc, and I can't quite figure out his/her gender. The body segments count to eight but the little prongs at the end of the abdomen are more curved out. In any case, Murdoc is this incredible red color that photos don't do justice to.
This one has no name but has a really interesting color, mostly brownish green but with a yellow tint.
And this is the caterpillar we found in the garden. I named him Charmander with hopes that he'll grow wings and become a beautiful Charizard some day.
This is Kaoru, whose name in Japanese means "a face of lapis lazuli". She's so photogenic; the second I took her out of her jar she jumped to my hand and started posing.
This one is Murdoc, and I can't quite figure out his/her gender. The body segments count to eight but the little prongs at the end of the abdomen are more curved out. In any case, Murdoc is this incredible red color that photos don't do justice to.
This one has no name but has a really interesting color, mostly brownish green but with a yellow tint.
And this is the caterpillar we found in the garden. I named him Charmander with hopes that he'll grow wings and become a beautiful Charizard some day.
