Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something fly past me and land on a nearby leaf. At first I thought it was a big dragonfly (my peripheral vision is not that great), but closer examination revealed that it was a praying mantis.
Earlier in the summer I spotted my first praying mantis “in the wild,” but it moved away as I was getting my camera ready—I was hoping to avoid the same fate this time around. As I tried to frame a shot, I realized that praying mantises are not easy to shoot. Their bodies are so long and skinny that it’s hard to fit them into a photo, especially when there is heavy vegetation that prevents an unobstructed view. I finally managed to find a narrow visual pathway through the branches that resulted in this shot.
It almost looks like the praying mantis is impatiently posing for me, with its tilted head and inquisitive facial expression. The eyes are wonderful too—they seem to be expressive. The orange tones of the leaves in both the foreground and the background help to give this portrait of a praying mantis an autumnal feel.
Praying mantis in the fall
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
How kind of him to wait until you got this great shot! I really like the colors in this picture, the insect and the background together gives a harmonious impression.
Thanks. In many ways this is my favorite photo of the past few weeks at least.
That beautiful photo should be on a poster!
Thanks. I am not sure, though, that I would welcome having a giant praying mantis looking out at me with those eyes.
I just love their stare with that triangular head.