When spring arrives, so do a variety of insects. Many are small early on and hard to see. There are exceptions, such as the mourning cloak butterfly; it winters as an adult, and may even be seen flying during a mild winter day. The majority of insects have a lifespan of a few months and reach adulthood late in the summer. The katydids that started their calling in forests during the first part of August are a good example.

Another insect that we see more of now are mantises. There are several species, such as the Carolina mantis and the larger (and invasive) Chinese mantis. Mantises are very small, about 1/4 inch, when they hatch out of their egg cases (called ootheca) during spring, but are now three to four inches in length; the Chinese mantids are growing a bit bigger than the other species.

Mantises are very hard to spot in the spring as they are very small and are also somewhat camouflaged—they are colored green and brown, which lets them mix in with vegetation that they frequent. Newly hatched mantises are nymphs; they look like tiny versions of adults and do not have a larval stage. At intervals, they shed their outer skin, or exoskeleton, and expose a soft, new exoskeleton. This is called an instar, and each time a mantis goes through an instar, it is a little bigger and more developed. A mantis typically has eight instars from hatching to adulthood. 

As you read this, mantises should have reached adulthood. They are green or brown, have wings, and are full-size. They are usually found in low plants or bushes, as they lie in ambush waiting for a passing insect. They might also be seen with a mate as they start breeding. Take a look in your garden; you may see one or a pair of praying mantises as they try to blend in with the plants.