Baby Praying Mantis

Praying Mantis are fascinating creatures. For the longest time, I've always thought that these insect-eating creatures only lived in tropical environments, but not in Southern California. One day while out taking a walk in the neighborhood, I stumbled across one perched on top of a sprinkler head minding its own business. Was this guy lost and out of place? Nope, they're actually native! Surprising considering that I've never noticed one in all the years that I've lived here until that day.

Anyways, over the weekend, while I was cutting off some basil to give to a friend. I noticed a bunch of baby praying mantis all over the plant! They probably were just a few days/weeks old and resembled perfect miniature versions of full-grown praying mantis. I was able to pick one up but did not have the camera with me at the time.

Here's a few shots that I was able to capture!