My favourite mantis

This is my favourite European mantid, the conehead mantis, Empusa pennata. These are juveniles which are getting ready to overwinter. The adults are truly magnificent. These babies are about 1 cm in size.

IMAGE LINK: https://photos.smugmug​.com …/R3A00076-XL.jpg&lb=1&s=A

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IMAGE LINK: https://photos.smugmug​.com …/R3A00066-XL.jpg&lb=1&s=A

what an amazing insect, and photography.
This also adds to another comment I made elsewhere the way these spindly legs and feet navigate the hazards of spikes and other dangerous weaponry put out by the plants they walk over.

Lovely captures Edwin. I think rotating the shots would make them easier to view.
Brian V.

What a cool looking little creature. Where do they hide during the winter so that they don't freeze?

Thanks Steve. They seem to hunker down in the bushes. This is at La Crau that has huge winds.

ECC233 wrote in post #18696290
Thanks Steve. They seem to hunker down in the bushes. This is at La Crau that has huge winds.

I was wondering too as you are Swiss based. The extreme south of France is less surprising. Certainly not an insect that has colonised the UK.

Thanks Toby ... I think there is location data on the Smugmug image ... but I did forget to say.