A strange landing.

In nature, strange things can land on your head....

Wait! she said, give me your camera, as there is something on your head.

We were standing under a tree, as I was waiting for a sunbird to land on a pincushion flower. It was a hot day, and one dare not wait in the blazing sunlight as it is very dangerous for one's skin. It is not the sun itself that is the problem, but rather it's UV rays that damage the skin. So, it is best to stand under a tree in the shade, but then one has to be prepared for spiders to drop down from the tree on to one.

This time round it was not a spider, and as you will see below what landed on my head was a welcome guest. A brave little guy, and I waited patiently for it to fly away. But no, it rather decided to climb down from my hat on to my shoulder, and then it made its way down on my arm. As soon as it came within reach, I put my hand in front of it, and without a thank you it climbed on to my hand.
So, come and see.

It was a Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) of the Mantadea Order, and the three photos below were taken by my wife with my camera.

Can you believe that the female eats the male after they have mated?

Mantises are mostly ambush predators, but a few ground-dwelling species are found actively pursuing their prey. They normally live for about a year. In cooler climates, the adults lay eggs in autumn, then die. The eggs are protected by their hard capsules and hatch in the spring. Females sometimes practice sexual cannibalism, eating their mates after copulation.