Some movement in the leaves of a tree at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge caught my eye on Friday afternoon. I thought it might be a squirrel, but it turned out to be a pretty large praying mantis. There is entire order of mantises (Mantodea) that includes over 2400 species, according to Wikipedia, so I hope that you can forgive me for not identifying the specific species of this praying mantis.
I love how well its shape and color help it to blend in with its surroundings—if it hadn’t moved, I am pretty sure that I would never have noticed it.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
What a great find! Fantastic photo, Mike, of one of my favorite insects. The perspective with the leaves is wonderful for showing the large size.
Thanks, Jet. The praying mantis looked to be unusually large. Although I usually prefer for my backdrops to be uncluttered, I think the leaves helped to set the scene.
How well they complement each other! Love your photo Mike!
Thanks, Liz.
What a beauty! It is their time. I have photographed a mantis almost every day, for the past seven days. Such a beautiful creature
Mantises are pretty amazing and they seem to come if all different sizes and shapes. I usually spot only a few each year, so it is really specially for me to see one.
I have never experienced so many, as I have this year.
Definitely a camouflage artist!
Hello! Just found your site, and am enjoying it. The mantis looks like it should be a Chinese mantis, Tenedora sinensis. That is the only mantis I know that looks like this.
Thanks, Mark. I know so little about mantises that I tend to lump them all together.