THE CORNERSTONE OF THE POCONOS

A Mantis in My Garden

Text and photographs by Michael Hartnett, Dingmans Ferry, PA. October 2022.

In mid-September, while tending my garden plot at the Smith-Harker Community Garden in Delaware Township, I spotted a praying mantis perched on the marigolds. This insect inspires awe with its elongated body, triangular-shaped head that can rotate 180 degrees, and its folded forelegs that resemble praying hands. A predator of insect pests, it was a welcome sight. I knew my vegetable and flower plants were protected. But lo and behold, a few weeks later while harvesting some kale I found a mantis egg capsule attached to one of the leaf stems. Similar to a cocoon it is called an ootheca and protects the eggs through the winter before hatching in the spring. Although the praying mantis is one of the most popular insects to keep as a pet, I’m happy to leave it just where I found it. I’m hopeful that a new generation of mantises will take up guard duty in my garden next year.