The Praying Mantis
Gardeners and insect enthusiasts recognize the praying mantis as an efficient ambush predator. The female mantis possesses an armored, elongated abdomen and thick, robust grasping forelegs, making her much larger than the slender male.
During the late summer mating season, her body swells as she develops an ootheca—a frothy egg case that hardens to protect hundreds of offspring through the winter.
Building this egg case demands high caloric intake. Consequently, the large female hunts everything she can, unburdened by the need to fly long distances to locate a mate.
