Since moving to Birch Bay, WA ten years ago I’ve seen the European mantis (Mantis religiosa) on only two occasions. The first time was in 2021. While walking in an undeveloped area near my home I observed a female capture and eat a a large cross orb weaver spider. Her strike was lightening fast. She began by eating the legs, then consumed the body. See my video and photo below.

Both sightings were in August during a run of dry weather. I have seen these mantids several times east of the Cascade Range, where they are much more abundant. Once, at a service station in Bridgeport, WA there were hundreds of the insects covering the pumps, cars, building, and on the ground. It was impossible to avoid running over them. The pavement was slippery with their squashed bodies.

This is the first time I have observed them in our yard. My wife and I found two males the same day, one on the screen door of my studio, and another in a flower planter box. We captured them in a jar and carefully placed them in the garden. Perhaps they will eat a few pests, though they eat beneficial insects too. Larger females will sometimes even capture and consume hummingbirds.

Mantids are my favorite insects, along with dragonflies. My fascination with insects and spiders dates back to my early childhood. The first stories I created were fantasies of a world where I was the size of an insect. My friends and I fought epic battles using needles for swords, and we sailed the creeks and ponds in boats we fashioned from walnut shells. Here are some of my lyrics to “Without Compare,” a nostalgic psychedelic song I recorded a few years ago with Salvadore Dali Llama.

"Every lily pad a foreign shore,
Insect conquistadors explore.
We set sail in walnut shells,
With matchstick masts
And paper sails.

The branches of the trees held up the sky.
The ants, the bees, the birds, and dragonflies.
A world revealed is yours and mine to share.
A summer day without compare."

“Without Compare,” Salvadore Dali Llama. Vocals; Jim Nelson, Mike Rostron. Drums; Jon Grover. Bass; Doug Hyldahl. Guitars; Mike Rostron, Jim Nelson.