Taking the picture must have spooked it, cuz the next thing I know, I'm on my back...
Judo flip!
These things behave really strangely as compared to other bugs. I found one on my yard the other day and as I walked by, I saw it was following me with its head. I went back and forth to make sure I wasn't imagining it. Nope it was intensely looking at me. So I thought... Perhaps it's just assessing a predator and keeping it in sight is a useful survival instinct. Then the mofo jumped at my face. Calculated jump and attack. I grabbed it and put it in a turned over glass and it was pissed at me and continued to stare me down. I had some friends over and they looked into the glass too but nah thing wasn't looking at them. It was looking at me and it looked pissed. I fed her a moth that was flying around by putting it inside the glass with it thinking... Its not going to attack the moth, mantis is probably terrified. Not a time to eat. So I thought. Damn thing proceeded to eat the head of the moth while it kept looking at me in disdain. I had to let the thing go. It was too sentient to be squashed as a bug. So I freed it later that night and made sure I closed the garden door behind me. I don't want that thing strangling me in my sleep.
