An Oriental Visitor

We've had a recent arrival of an oriental variety this week to our front shrub and flower garden. Some cocoon-looking nest has locked itself onto one of our shrubs. I took a picture of it and used Google to identify it.

Google identified it as a Chinese mantis or at least the cocoon, or ootheca, of one. It's actually a hardened protein-based egg mass that protects the eggs. Wikipedia says that the species was accidentally brought over in 1896 by a "nurseryman" to the Philadelphia area. Since then it has spread across the country. The pictures show a green to brown looking praying mantis a little larger than four inches long.

The Asian mantis is very aggressive towards its prey which is essentially the same as other mantises - insects, hornets, and other mantises. Yes, it is cannibalistic. Here is a photo from Wikipedia.

We will try to get an actual picture of it if we can.