Thursday, February 5, 2009

The Juniper Bush Is A Mantis Nursery


I'm keeping an eye on this through the winter. Can you see it up there, right in the middle of the juniper bush up top? There are praying-mantis eggs in there. I'm hoping I'll be around when the nymphs hatch in the spring. It seems impossible the thing remains viable through the winter, but there you are. Right out in the open, about a foot from the ground, just an inch and a half from top to bottom. It was covered in snow for days at one point, and it's open to the west wind now. But on it hangs, tenacious as a plastic grocery bag in a tree. Remarkable.

1 comment:

Beth Niquette said...

I've never seen a praying mantis nest before. How cool is that?