pray, mantis!

praying mantis, finally. I've been trying to get a good picture of one for awhile now. They're getting bigger and more aggressive - if you don't get them right on the back, they'll jab those sharp little claws right into your finger, which is more surprising than painful, but it's enough to let go and let them get away.

This sneaky guy didn't manage to jab me. No, he was forced to get his picture taken.

Mantids are my favorite insects. Aren't they so awesome? They're totally the badasses of the insect world.

Look, more of my fingers! Maybe my title should be "pictures of my fingers" instead of "shiny things"