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You are here: Home / Diary / Garden Thursday: A Visitor!

Garden Thursday: A Visitor!

May 17, 2012 By: Sparkle Cat38 Comments

I could not believe my eye!

I was checking on my catnip plant earlier this week and you will not believe what I saw!

I will give you a hint - it is green!

Can you see it?

I told you it was green!

Maybe I should give you a small hint. Can you see now?

Even praying mantises can't escape the paparazzi

It was a baby praying mantis! It was about a half inch long, if that. We hardly ever see praying mantises around here, much less baby ones. When my human saw it, it was munching on a gnat.

Maybe it was a contraband gnat.

Clearly, it did not like being disturbed!

I can totally relate.

It quickly tired of all the attention and tried to get away from prying eyes.

At first, I wished that my human had brought him inside as a tasty treat for me, but then I discovered that praying mantises actually help my catnip plant by eating the pests that want to munch on it. So it is allowed to stay as long as it wants!

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Comments

  1. jmuhj says

    May 29, 2012 at 12:49 pm

    We had those two houses ago. They look like little aliens! Glad to know yours is keeping watch over your ‘nip garden. 😉

    Reply
  2. Natalie says

    May 17, 2012 at 9:55 pm

    Whoa, cool bug! I’ve never seen one of those in the wild before.

    Reply
  3. Kozmo at the Cat From Hell says

    May 17, 2012 at 9:08 pm

    Sparkle! Your Catnip is doing well! And yous has bugs to take care of it too! Wow! Me is not sure me would not has eaten it!
    And Yous sure looks cute peeping out the door!
    Kisses
    Nellie

    Reply
  4. Oui Oui says

    May 17, 2012 at 8:40 pm

    We don’t see many of them either and get really excited when we do! They are so cool. Many years ago when the Girl was small she talked about a “Terannasses”. For a week the mom couldn’t figure it out & mentioned it to her mom who knew immediately it was a praying mantis. Now its a family joke.

    Reply
  5. The Island Cats says

    May 17, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    We see those bugs sometimes outside on the plants. We’re glad it wasn’t eating your nip plant!

    Reply
  6. Devoted to Willow says

    May 17, 2012 at 4:15 pm

    Thats cool how even tastee snacks has purpose of helping with the nip.

    Reply
  7. Abby says

    May 17, 2012 at 3:37 pm

    Sparkle
    That was one welcome visitor.
    purrs
    >^,,^<
    ♥Abby♥Boo♥Ping♥Jinx♥Grace♥

    Reply
  8. Caren Gittleman says

    May 17, 2012 at 3:35 pm

    it better be!!! Do you know I heard as a child that it is against the law to kill a Praying Mantis? Is that true?

    Reply
    • Sparkle says

      May 17, 2012 at 4:07 pm

      I would not know about that, but I can say with some certainty that it does not apply to cats. Which is why it is a good thing for that praying mantis that it is outside and I am an indoor-only kitty!

      Reply
  9. Callie (a.k.a. Trouble) says

    May 17, 2012 at 3:05 pm

    Well, so long as the Cat Nip is okay – that is top priority!

    Reply
  10. CCL Wendy says

    May 17, 2012 at 2:26 pm

    That praying mantis better pray that Karma doesn’t come around to bite it! It wants to be left alone, but it sure did gnat leave the gnat alone. Thanks for the close-up view of nature in all it’s injustice! LOL!

    Reply
  11. Rose says

    May 17, 2012 at 12:38 pm

    Wow, great photos!

    Reply
  12. Toby & Leia says

    May 17, 2012 at 11:05 am

    Huh. Who knew a tasty treat could also be useful?

    Reply
  13. Williamw says

    May 17, 2012 at 10:36 am

    I love praying mantises! I used to have a bunch who visited me at the house, but I haven’t seen any here. 🙁 Your mom is right–they do lots of good!

    Reply
  14. Savannah says

    May 17, 2012 at 10:33 am

    wonderful photos! and keep that baby bug happy if it saves your nip!

    Reply
  15. Junior, Orion and Sammy says

    May 17, 2012 at 10:29 am

    That is very cool! We get a few katydids here, not that we have seen one, but one rode on Meowms car to work with her one mirning.

    Reply
  16. Nerissa's Life says

    May 17, 2012 at 10:24 am

    Yes, yes… these are beneficials! They’ll protect your nip for you. Yoo-hoo!!!

    Reply
  17. Sammy says

    May 17, 2012 at 10:07 am

    We see LOTS of those guys on our plants – the “coccoons” the Momma Mantis makes are FULL of those little green babies and I know that when they hatch they’ll wander around and eat all the BAD BUGS on my Mom’s garden stuff. I leave them alone…..they’re “good guys” !! I’m sure that baby will take good care of your catnip for you.

    Kitty Hugs, Sammy

    Reply
  18. Brian says

    May 17, 2012 at 10:01 am

    It sure is nice of that critter to take care of you nip for you!

    Reply
  19. Ryker's Boyz 'n' Allie says

    May 17, 2012 at 9:53 am

    We’re totally down with anything that stops those nasty bugs from munching on our catnip! GO mantises!

    Reply
  20. Glogirly & Katie says

    May 17, 2012 at 9:20 am

    The baby praying mantis must think that’s a pretty cool catnip condo. Hopefully he’ll move in permanently and keep tabs on your catnip for you.
    ; ) Katie

    Reply
  21. Pricilla - Famous SpokesGoat says

    May 17, 2012 at 9:17 am

    They are one of the two bugs the publicist will tolerate. They eat a lot of bugs.

    Reply
  22. Cheysuli says

    May 17, 2012 at 9:05 am

    But he certainly would be fun to watch, wouldn’t he?

    Reply
  23. Texas, a cat in New York says

    May 17, 2012 at 9:03 am

    Wow! Those are great pics. I didn’t know what a praying mantis was, I had never seen one. Now I’ll know thanks to you and your human!
    It must have been hard resisting having it as a treat though…

    Reply
  24. Tamago says

    May 17, 2012 at 8:46 am

    Wow that’s a tiny mantis! It’s great the mantis eats pests on your catnip. Yes, you gotta keep it!

    Reply
  25. BeadedTail says

    May 17, 2012 at 8:40 am

    That’s pretty cool you have a praying mantis on your nip! When are you going to get a leaf or two though?

    Reply
  26. Terri says

    May 17, 2012 at 8:19 am

    Great pictures! You were wise to leave the praying mantis on your catnip. They are great for your plant, but they are mean little bugs, too!

    Reply
  27. Selina says

    May 17, 2012 at 7:47 am

    Sparkle, how COOL is this?! We didn’t know that about ‘nip plants & preying mantisissssss … MOL! Isn’t nature GREAT?!

    (Well, when kept to a minimum… MOL)

    PURRS!
    Selina

    PS – Your hooman took some PAWSOME photos, too!

    Reply
  28. The Poupounette Gang says

    May 17, 2012 at 7:38 am

    Wow! You have your very own catnip pest-control coordinator! That’s really cool!

    Purrs,
    The Chans

    Reply
  29. Random Felines says

    May 17, 2012 at 7:28 am

    eeeep – it’s a bug!!!! mom says those praying mantis’s sure are funny looking. 🙂

    Reply
  30. Punapippuri says

    May 17, 2012 at 6:56 am

    That is awesome! This food chain stuff is excellent. Who’d have thought the preying mantis could be such a help to cats!

    Reply
  31. Fuzzy Tales says

    May 17, 2012 at 6:29 am

    Wow, kudos to your mom for the photography! We’ve never seen a praying mantis, baby or adult! That is VERY neat! And all the better for the catnip, which looks terrific, BTW!

    Reply
  32. Hannah and Lucy says

    May 17, 2012 at 5:34 am

    What a great picture of the praying mantis getting his dinner.
    Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx

    Reply
  33. Cat's Cats says

    May 17, 2012 at 5:15 am

    He is a welcome visitor then!!!

    Reply
  34. Artemisia, Fenris, Socks & Scylla says

    May 17, 2012 at 5:09 am

    What a cool picture of the praying mantis. We have almost destroyed our catnip plant. Mommy says it is a hardy little thing because after we eats it and rolls on top of it, it is still struggling to survive.

    Reply
  35. Katie Bella says

    May 17, 2012 at 4:47 am

    SUPER pics and that one of you peeking out is a total winner! xox

    Reply
  36. Marg says

    May 17, 2012 at 4:00 am

    Wow, that is some good picture taking. That is so nice of him to take care of the catnip plant for you Sparkle. Have a great day.

    Reply
  37. Max the Quilt Cat says

    May 17, 2012 at 3:14 am

    Wooohoooo… I didn’t see it at first…. Great pictures. I’m glad he’s helping your catnip grow…

    pawhugs, Max

    Reply

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