Ootheca Bailout

Today I discovered the praying mantis nymphs leaving the egg case on the fork handle. I didn’t manage to see any actually leave, which is a pity. They catapult out and hit the deck running. I did see several, one or two at a time on the handle before they flicked themselves into space. Some landed on pak choi leaves, others on the propagation table. They get about at a breathtaking speed, and know how to hide. Because of the shelter in the greenhouse they have emerged a month early, but they should be fine, unless we have some harsh frosts.

In the picture is the ootheca with the tassels the nymphs leave behind. (Compare with the intact shot). The nymph lower left is showing the dark spots on its front leg that identifies it as a New Zealand native praying mantis. Orthodera novaezealandiae