Praying Mantis (likely Chinese Mantis)

Gardens, meadows, and shrubbery across North America and Asia; often found on plants waiting for prey.

Carnivorous predator; eats insects like grasshoppers, crickets, flies, and occasionally small vertebrates like hummingbirds or lizards.

Ambush predator that uses camouflage and stays motionless for long periods. Noted for sexual cannibalism and laying eggs in a protective foamy case called an ootheca.

Beneficial as biological pest control for gardens. They are harmless to humans, though they may nip if handled roughly; they have no venom.