The end...I think*

Life goes on and sometimes it's not pretty. Mr. Mantis (Jack)  has met a most terrible fate, but then it is his terrible fate to do so.  If his woman (Diane) doesn't bite off his head (literally), then a poisonous spider will dissolve his insides. 

Notice, Jack's backside has begun to rot.  Upon closer inspection, I was able to see two pinholes in his abdomen. He was still alive when I took this blip, so I put him on a leaf and took him to a "safer" place.  When I returned a few hours later, he had all but disappeared in a mound of ants.
Extra: Meanwhile, Ms. Mantis (Diane), in the back yard, moved from the clothesline pole to the fading Jupiter's Beard.  I assume she will lay eggs here and they will hatch in the spring.. if not discovered by the hummingbirds, doves, or the whiptail lizard that dwell here as well.  

Life...it's wild!
*Mantis life cycle