Bugs

 

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If you do not like insects or spiders - if you are in anyway arachnophobic, entomophobic, insectophobic ... then click away and do not look here because I am going to post photos of creatures with more than 4 legs 

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Because yesterday was a day for interesting encounters with wild-life. 

First I was doing a little gardening - I have a very little garden in the inner-city and I'm proud of any form of nature that takes up residence.

The rosemary bush needed pruning as it would like to be a rosemary tree and I disturbed a wonderfully camouflaged praying mantis.  

I only saw her / him because she / he moved ...  can you see it?  Hint - is upside down.

Perhaps if I rotate a photo ...

Not large by mantis standards, about 1.5 - 2" long - very green - white "racing stripes" down the sides of a plump abdomen (making it look very like the rosemary leaves)  a bit of bright orange on those deadly front claws and yellow / orange eyes.  

I don't know which species the praying mantis is  - trying to work out the species of insects makes me too too confused.  Sorry.

Then - late in the evening I was busy knitting mini Snowmen ornaments when that 6th sense made me look behind me ... at the window sill where I had put the completed Snowmen ...

 The funny way the knitted snowmen look like they are trying to sneak away - meant I had to get the camera and take photos.   

This Huntsman spider has been living in our house & garden for about 4 months now - we get them in the house every spring / summer but this one is quite distinctively and prettily marked.  I think it is a male (has a thin body / abdomen) - not sure and those pretty markings make me want to think of it as feminine.  He has almost doubled in size since we first saw him (and I've found a couple of empty exoskeletons) so he must be finding plenty to eat round our place.  They are marvelous natural pest control!

Here is another photo with better lighting - you can really see the beautiful markings.