Environment
Praying Mantis, Nature’s Garden Guardian
August 30, 2009 
The day job includes making photos for textbooks and we just couldn’t resist sharing this one made in the back yard.
Many gardeners consider mantises to be desirable insects, as they prey upon many harmful insect species. Organic gardeners who avoid pesticides may encourage mantises as a form of biological pest control. Tens of thousands of mantis egg cases are sold each year in some garden stores for this purpose.
As the weeds in vacant lots dry out, you can often see them “stalking the stalks” waiting to ambush unsuspecting insects and spiders.
IMAGE COPYRIGHT DAVID R. FRAZIER, PHOTOLIBRARY, Inc.
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© 2009 Boise Guardian. 
Aug 31, 2009, 4:59 pm
Nice shot and info.