The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

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The New Hotness

  • Praying Mantis Ootheca

    Several of this year’s praying mantises set up shop in the decorative grasses bracketing the front door:

    Praying Mantis - brown wing covers - in grass
    Praying Mantis – brown wing covers – in grass

    We found their egg masses, formally called ootheca, attached to the stems in mid-October:

    Praying Mantis egg mass A
    Praying Mantis egg mass A

    They feel like rigid urethane foam and seem eminently protective:

    Praying Mantis egg mass B
    Praying Mantis egg mass B

    We’ll cut around the masses when it’s time to clear out the dead grass next spring. I was tempted to bring one inside, but dealing with a gazillion tiny mantises in a few months would be daunting.