WAITING & READY

A praying mantis – also called mountain mantis – sits in a bunch of petunias west of Plains Plains. The mantis, measuring just over three inches long, was in the yard of Marc and Ellen Childress. There are some 2,000 mantis species in the world, including several in Montana. According to the Montana Field Guide, the mantis is not native to Montana, but are presently found throughout North America. The field guide notes that a mantis can camouflage itself in many ways and routinely wait to ambush its prey.