A goodbye

A short spell of sunshine and this mantis was out. It didn't have the strength to escape from my approaching macrolens but watched me carefully as I tried to capture it from every angle, turning its alienlike head towards me. Unless the forecast changes, I think this will be the last mantis of the season. The mantis, as a species, survives winter as eggs in a ooteca, whereas the adults usually die shortly after the eggs have been laid. The female dies from exhaustion (I guess), the male on the other hand is often a victim of sexual cannibalism as the female rips his head off after mating and if she is hungry she will not stop there but eat him as well! That might actually be a really effective way to conserve the genetic diversity of the species! Applause to them. I hope the mantis in the blip will be able to pass on its genes before it becomes too late. After photographing it I took it down from the straw and we said our goodbyes as it climbed into the thick and thorny blackberrybush.