The praying mantid is perhaps the largest insect predator you may ever encounter.
Mature females can reach five inches in length.
Praying mantids are usually green, but some are dull brown in color. These predators feed on any insect that crosses their path by grasping them with their powerful front legs. Females lay eggs in the fall in foamy masses that harden in a few hours. The eggs hatch in the spring with a number of nymphs scattering about the garden to feed. These are our friends.