From 2013-04. I discovered him one night in my greenhouse, napping on the underside of a stem of a Euphorbia bush:

Praying mantises are the coolest insects ever (other than dragonflies) and I wanted a better picture, so I poked him and he became all legs and arms:

He slowly struggled up to the top of the branch and gave me this look:

If I could even anthropomorphize this more, he’d be thinking, “Dude, I was having a nice sleep, why’d you poke me?”

After that I left him alone. They are good predators for less desirable insects, but after a few days I didn’t see him again.

-R