...it's gotten so that I can't even go to the green grocer without them hanging about!"thought, Perry Mantis as he caught the flash of the camera in his face while doing his morning shop.
I went out to the garden to photograph a spider web this morning, and as I was making my way over to it, I saw this little guy perched on the top of this dahlia. He was facing away from me the entire time I got set up and focused on him. As soon as I began to take photos, he faced me. It made me laugh. His teeninesy eyes fascinated me, so I looked up how praying mantis eyes work. They have five eyes (two compound eyes and three simple eyes located between them) and are the only invertebrate known to have the ability to see in three dimensions. I also learned that the "pupil" isn't really a pupil; it is the facet of the compound eye that is facing you.
