Bradford P. Ward  -  Children's Book Author
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Praying Mantis

Mantids are designed for ambushing their prey.  Excellent camouflage, a head that can swivel 180 degrees, compound eyes that see up to 20 meters, and spiked front legs that can grip victims with deadly speed and accuracy, all combine to make the praying mantis a formidable hunter.  The female has cannibalistic tendencies and has been observed chewing off the head of its male partner shortly after mating. 
That's just not nice! 

    artwork by Bradford P Ward
Picture
Praying Mantis, using his 'hide and seek' skills, comes out of nowhere to scare the life out of Worker 1200 in Chapter 2 of A Pilgrimage of Pests.  Mantids typically delight in ripping apart and devouring bug-fellows.  So Worker 1200 has every right to be scared.  But this mantid is far from typical.  As it turns out, he has a very different dietary preference.  Worker 1200 has a hard time believing she is in good hands, or should I say tarsals, in the presence of this frightening bug-fellow.

Never one to shy away from a well placed proverb,
('Thou must learnest to turn thy other cheek') Praying Mantis often adds a moral quote or two in conversations.


Although his role is fairly minor in th
e first book,  Praying Mantis becomes a major player in the final two books of the
Cockroach of Meadowfield trilogy.
 

See why the mantis is such a deadly hunter.  Not for the faint of heart!
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