One evening, I was minding my own business, hanging my clothes up in my closet when I heard a small but urgent fluttering sound coming from inside one of my shirts. All of the sudden, a bright green insect came flapping out of the bottom of my shirt, landing on my backpack. It was a praying mantis!
I had never seen a praying mantis before, so I wasn't sure what to do with it when it appeared in my bedroom. I was a little scared, but I didn't want to hurt it. When something scary appears in front of you, do you run? Attack? Or try to learn more about it?
The praying mantis is an insect with a long, bright green body. It is generally two to four inches long, with four wings and a long neck. It has big owl-like eyes atop a triangular head. Like all insects, it has six legs, but unlike all insects, two of them are spiked and raised up in front of its body. It is believed that this is why they were given the name praying mantis; the insect appears to have brought its hands together in a prayer-like pose.
