Slippery Slope

 I was sitting outside enjoying the sunshine when I caught sight of a peculiar movement in the grass between two large flowerpots. Close inspection revealed a praying mantis apparently fighting her reflection in the blue pot. Then I realised that she was trapped, unable to climb the glazed side of the pot. Getting a decent shot of her was tricky because of the narrow gap between the pots, and the strong light contrast. I was pleased to capture her reflection. I carefully lifted her into the pot where she quickly hid herself in the clump of Felicia.

This is the individual that has been living on the artichokes for several weeks. Two days ago she laid her eggs and left, as they do. I didn’t expect to see her again. I was reminded that I’d seen another female on the ground early this week, and wondered if she had been laying eggs too. I went to the spot and in less than a minute I found a new ootheca on a nearby stake. This makes me happy because in the last two months I have seen only 2 mantises and now they have both produced ootheca that I can watch out for.