Thank you so much to Needleroozer for help in identifying our weird coccoon! After some early morning research, I have confirmed as best as I could, that it is in fact a PRAYING MANTIS EGG CASE! It is 3 feet from the ground, about the size of a quarter, right color and texture......
Totally awesome.
Yay! Those are wonderful closeups! Now you just have to determine if it has opened or not. In the first photo it sorta looks like there is a hole in the bottom. This is where the little babies would have come out. They may already be in your garden. As I remember, the one we found in our yard in NJ opened about the 9th or 10th of May.
ReplyDeleteI am envious- we have to pay for the egg cases here, as they aren't native. We were lucky enough to live with mantids in the 18 months we lived in NJ, though, and fell in love. They are so graceful and gorgeous.
How cool!
LB
Hmmmm. I hope this case survived the winter. I just found a link that says they came to central Iowa last spring on a fluke from the mild winter BUT this last winter was anything but mild.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kcci.com/news/9774516/detail.html
So I'll keep a close watch out. Goodness knows that our garden has more than enough aphids for them to feast on!
Wow, that would be really cool if it makes it!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Praying Mantis is one of the coolest looking bugs ever.
Hey, I just went and checked it out. The hole isn't, its just a weird formation and a shadow. I gentle put my finger on the case and it vibrates. It hums. It is amazing.
ReplyDeleteHow very cool.Check it often, and see if you can get any picks of the teensy weensy beauties! If I were there, I'd sketch it with you!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are feeling better today.
I am sicker than a dog, and have to fly on Thursday. Resting as much as I can.
LB
wow! That is so neat! Fascinating discovery. :) Cool!
ReplyDelete