Praying Mantis
This preying mantis was photographed using a Nikon CoolPix 990 on 12 Oct. 2002 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Mantidae -- Praying Mantis Family
There are quite a number of praying mantis species in the Sonoran Desert. The most commonly encountered species, especially near urban centers, are the introduced species that have been widely released for control of pest insects such as the Mediterranean Mantis (Iris orataria) and the European Mantis (Mantis religiosa).