A Praying Mantis is of the family of insects called Mantidae, native to Europe, found in the U.S. around 1899. There are over 2,300 species of mantis worldwide. They have distinguished long, thin, and prominent forelegs, which look like they are folded in a “praying” position. The praying mantis colors are browns and greens, which camouflage them within leaves and twigs. The head is a triangle shape, with large and complex set of eyes, the head can turn 360 degrees. The females are usually larger than males, after mating the female will sometimes attack and eat her mate. All of the praying mantis I came upon were in water areas with various foliage.