mantis eating butterfly

[bubba]

I don't know how well this will work but I thought this was an interesting pic. I don't know much about insects but I believe this is a Carolina mantis eating some sort of frittillary. I don't think he/she liked the intrusion. Sorry about the size but I'm not sure how to downsize.

[-okapi-]

too large to be a carolina. Looks to me to be a praying mantis (european species introduced here around 1890s) a shed or two from adulthood. carolina mantises are small, reaching about 2-2.5 inches in length (adult females). Praying mantises and chinese mantises get to 4-5 inches in length (adults).