Big old Preying Mantis clinging toi the outside of my screen.
Big enough to notice through the part-closed venetian blinds.
I don’t see these, often.
What’s the correct response here?
Squeee?
No, that’s only if it’s scraping one of its two great, big hooks against the glass in an attempt to cut through and reach YOU.
Squeee… eeee… EEE! 
Not quite: Only if it’s scraping one of its two great, big hooks against the glass in an attempt to cut through and reach your new, cute, fluffy kitten.
If it’s attempting to reach YOU, the proper response is, “What’s the number for 911?!?!?”
Still there.
Claws together, & outstretched.
Very priestly.
Female mantids practice sexual cannibalism. They set a bad example. I say nuke 'em from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.
1 hour later–he hasn’t twitched.
Not an antenna wiggle.
They are nothing if not patient.
be afraid. be very afraid.
seriously, they are major pest control tools. good for you and your garden or whatever.
let it be, man. let it be.
If you’re lucky, it’s a female and she’ll leave an egg case for you.
Are there non-praying mantids?
Atheist mantises, perhaps?
Maybe a lapsed mantis?
I used to see them a lot in my youth. Then for a while not at all. I see them much more lately, a few each year. I don’t know if that means their population was waxing and waning, or my observation skills shifted, but I always love to see one.
I love manitses…mantuses? mantii? If there’s more than one mantis, I love it!
In our old place, our bathroom had a big sliding window overlooking a side garden. We would quite often get a mantis sitting on our toothbrush rack, could give you a bit of a fright when it started swaying its arms around at you.
Odd. I live in the middle of a medium-sized city. I haven’t noticed one in recent years, but saw one just yesterday morning as I walked outside. I wonder if it’s the time of year?
I’ve seen two in my yard. One is brown and hangs out by the deck, or he used to I havent seem him in a few days… The other is green and hangs out by the garden. The green one has a very swollen abdomen (eggs?) and flexed her wings at me when i got close. They remind me somewhat of cockroaches.
I know our venus fly trap has snagged a couple daddy long legs, I doubt the trap is robust enough to tangle with my brown mantis. Maybe the green lady ate him!
I also watch the funnel spiders in the yard too, I have a condo of funnel spiders near the water barrel.
If she comes on to you, run. Even if she’s hot.
A large mantis can even capture (and feed on) small birds. Just do a Google Images search for “mantis hummingbird”, there are several distinct examples caught on (digital) film.
Example 1 from West Chester, PA.
Example 2 from Dare County, NC.
Brrr.
And the fact that it is a humming bird is part of what makes it astounding to me. Those critters move pretty quickly!
I had a mantis on the crosspiece of my doorway and he stayed there for 3 days.
He never moved, except his head would swivel to watch me as I entered my apartment.
Was it near a porch light? I bet he gorged himself on moths if so.