There are only a few mantises left in the wine barrel. They've adopted a new behavior... whenever something rustles the herbs, they make an instant leap off of whatever branch they're on. I'm sure this leaping activity has had an effect on their immediate dispersal into the garden.
The few who have remained on the herbs seem to be rather enjoying themselves...
This baby mantis has caught a baby grasshopper for breakfast.
I watched one on the pathway, and it started to cross a 7-inch paving stone... it began skittering across in a panic, and died by the time it reached the other side. I was more than a little horrified that the ground was so hot that it was killing the little fellas, so I ended up misting water over all the surfaces to cool the garden down in the heat of the day.
I watched another one who was in the shade next to a trail of ants... it really, REALLY wanted to grab an ant, but it overshot each predatory lunge by about 200%. It was pretty hilarious, and it reminded me of Bambi sliding around on a frozen pond on its newborn gangly legs.
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