You Wanna Piece a Me?

Put 'Em Up
Originally uploaded by Sheepish.

This has to be one of my all-time favorite bugs. They're just so funky. It's a preying mantis (or some cousin), in case you can't tell from the picture. Besides the really cool fact that the females eat the males for nourishment just after getting to know each other in the Biblical sense, they're just funny little creatures.

I found this one lurking on a coffe can in the sink area around lunchtime today. I imagine it came in through the ceiling "vent" that is no longer. Before putting it back outside, I took a little picture.

What's really cool about these little doodads is that no matter how big you are, if you get too close, they'll put their little dukes up and come out swinging. You can see this one is not too happy with the papparazzi shoving a camera in it's face. In fact, it's probably a female on the lamb after having consumed her most-recent lover.

Can't you just hear the squeaky little voice... "Come on! Put 'em up! Put 'em up..."