I recently was at the pediatrician’s office, and as I was leaving, I saw a boy about 8 years old in the waiting room with a little plastic terrarium-looking thing. I asked him what he had in there, and it turned out to be a giant mantis. He told me about it, what he feeds to it, etc. I thought it was kind of an odd thing to have as a pet, myself, but I guess I could see why a kid might like it.
I love those things. In the early spring I go to the nursery and buy a couple of pods and plant them in the bushes and in a few months natures perfect pest control is unleashed.
It was green, far from a porch light, & gone by next AM.
I’ve only started seeing them more often in the last few years myself.