Weekly Photo Challenge: Change

A praying mantis, clinging to the screen of my sunroom window . . . changed to blend into his surroundings.  Is he the hunter or the hunted?

Our theme for the Weekly Photo Challenge this week is:  Change.
Our instructions:  Change is commonly defined as “to give a completely different form or appearance to; to transform.”  What does change mean to you?

The praying mantis is on a very short list of insects that do not freak me out.  In fact, I’ve always kind of liked them.  The mantis is, however, a cousin to the cockroach, which freaks me out in spades.

Earlier this week, I was watching a praying mantis, clinging to the outside window of my sunroom.  He was there for hours.  And I couldn’t figure out why he’d be there.  Don’t praying mantes prefer shrubbery?  And then I saw it (but just barely, because holy cow, the praying mantis strikes FAST) — it’s snack time!  Praying mantes eat stinkbugs!!  The outside of my sunroom windows are covered with those foul little cilantro-bugs — he found himself a 24-hour, all-you-can-eat stinkbug buffet.

Now that I think about it, this explains why lately, my patio smells like a someone murdered a cilantro plant.

This is not my best or favorite photo, but it does illustrate natural change and adaption.  The praying mantis is able to camoflague himself to mimic his his surroundings.  He looks kind of like a window screen (he’d look pretty obvious sitting there wearing his bright green suit), but he looks even more like a giant stink bug.

Bon Appétit, Mr. Mantis!

Nikon D800
ISO 720 | 420mm | f/10 | 1/500 sec

Salud!