This one is a favorite of my husband. The Praying Mantis is one of the most beautiful and fascinating insects in our world. They live only one season and grow from a nymph that is about 1/4" long to anywhere from 4 to 7 inches long depending on the species. Their strike is so fast that it cannot be seen by the human eye. They are capable of catching and consuming prey that is as big, and sometimes bigger, then they are. The Chinese Praying Mantis was introduced to this country in the 1800s and is a non-threatening invasive species. Meaning it's introduction did nothing to upset the ecology of the region it was introduced into. And yes, the females often consume their mates in order to better their chances of a successful breeding.
This particular design is based on a praying mantis I raised several years ago. She had hatched from an egg sack I had purchased from a beneficial bug dealer. I caught her in the garden after approximately three moults. She was just about 3/4" long when I set her up in a terrarium in our living room. For the first several weeks she ate fruit flies that I had encouraged to populate a piece of rotting fruit. Once she was large enough I graduated her to crickets that I would purchase from a local pet supply store. She could eat several in a few days. We named her Lavender and she loved the small lavender plant I had put in her terrarium. For a long time I had one of her sheddings, but we have since moved and I have lost it.
Lavender lived in our home from June until November, when her cycle ended. The short life span is very sad when one has grown attached. But I did truly enjoy the time we had together. I drew this portrait of her as a memorial of that time. And also to remind my customers that beauty can be found anywhere.
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