Look what I found on the side of my house.

There were a few of them on the bricks. It’s a small black insect. The brick’s about 8 cm (3 inches) high – so it’s pretty small. If I hadn’t looked closely I would have thought it was an ant!

Up close you can see that it looks just like a praying mantis. It’s a baby praying mantis.

Baby insects that look like their parents are called nymphs. The main difference is that only the adults have wings.

In this video you can see the mother laying eggs and the babies hatching. Watch how they come out all folded up in a pod shape and then stretch themselves out.

You can read about insect lifecycles on the Museum Victoria website.

Have a closer look at the minibeasts in your garden – you might be surprised what you find.

Resources:

Sydenham, Shirley. & Thomas, Ron. 2014. Praying Mantis [online] www.kidcyber.com.au

Cross-posted from Real Science and Other Adventures: https://realscienceandotheradventures.wordpress.com/