Seasoned Adult

The praying mantis I blipped three days ago after it had emerged from its final moult as a nymph is now looking every inch the adult. The diaphanous wing cases have hardened  and become opaque. It is very slim and I don’t know if this is because it has not caught any food, or if I made a mistake about the gender. Perhaps she’s a bloke.

This morning as I was watering the vegetables I felt a strange wriggling sensation under my sandal strap. I lifted my foot, which loosened the strap, and a tiny lizard ran out! Whatever next? They seem to be everywhere. I have never had so many lizards in my garden. On thinking about this I realised that I have not had to deal with hedgehog droppings this summer. What has happened to the hedgehogs? Their absence is good news for the lizards, but bad news for the insects the lizards eat. I have seen one climbing around in the bush where the mantis lives.