This is one of my favorite insects!

With over 2000 species worldwide, the mantises can be a force to be reckoned with!

Praying Mantises are generally a tropical insect, but they can be found in temperate parts of the world as well. With their strange behavior and triangle-like head, they are peculiar indeed. In fact, they are some the most popular insects for humans to keep as pets.

Their front legs are equipped with large raptor-like spikes that they use to grasp their prey. They are ambush predator and will fit perched with their front legs bent and ready for action, which can resemble someone praying. This is where they get their name from.

The first one we found today (we found three total, of two different species) was a excellent gray camouflage color. It was on the trunk of a tree, and blended in very well. Enjoy the video!

The information is the video is original but I did have a quick refresher from this source.