Who knew that a Praying Mantis could be so cute? This individual found hatching at Floyd Bennett Field is literally seconds old. I am not 100% certain of the identity of this tiny insect and, according to the website
Herper.com, there are 21 species of
mantids found in North America. Unfortunately, most are introduced from around the globe with the
Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) and
European mantis (Mantis religiosa) being the most common here in NYC.
You can tell the species by the size/shape of the egg casing.
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