Praying Mantis Lives at the ANB Bank in Downtown Cheyenne

Have you ever spotted a praying mantis here in Cheyenne?

While walking to the parking lot of the ANB Bank last week, I encountered this praying mantis on the sidewalk near the drive-up ATM along with lots of other insects and beetles, some of them probably became her dinner.

This wasn't the first praying mantis I've seen around here, we had one on our front porch a while back. Many gardeners value the large creatures because they eat a lot of the insects causing damage.

One of the fascinating things about the praying mantis is it's ability to swivel it's head around almost 180 degrees. When they turn their head and look right at you, it can be very intimidating.

That might be one reason why 'The Deadly Mantis' was made in 1957, one of the many movies to feature a creature that has grown gargantuan due to radiation and is terrorizing humanity. You may have seen parts of this film critiqued on the TV show 'Mystery Science Theater 3000.'

Be on the lookout for these strange creatures around your yard, maybe you could catch one and keep it as a pet. What do you think we should name our praying mantis at the ANB Bank?