Blue Sky and Sunshine!

After days of gloom we had some sunshine and a big bit of blue sky. They looked great with the fennel flowers.

Today I found three praying mantis nymphs. One was the same size and appearance as the one in the greenhouse, which I know is in its third instar. Another was somewhat bigger and was more advanced. I could clearly see the beginnings of the wings and wing cases. See the comparison in extra shot. The larger one I guess is in the fourth instar, i.e. has cast its skin three times. The third nymph was in the shade and I couldn’t get a good photo of it. It was probably in the third instar, but it was very slim. A male, no doubt. Good, we’ll be needing some of those.