Bugs Worth Loving: Praying Mantis

I haven't been lucky enough to have many praying mantids reside in my garden, but every time I run across one of these fascinating creatures, I have to resist the urge to just spend hours watching it. Praying mantids have been touted as great predators of all types of garden pests, particularly aphids. However, we know that they don't have quite the appetite we had hoped they did, and are apt to devour beneficials as well as pests.

The thing about praying mantises is that they are the essence of good organic gardening: not all good, not all bad, and worth having just because they're interesting. If we took this view toward more of the creatures and plants that inhabit our landscapes, we'd be much happier gardeners.

About Insects guide Debbie Hadley has written an informative article about praying mantids, so if you're as fascinated with them as I am, be sure to stop by and check it out.