If you've been reading my newsletter since 2012, you may remember the "mantis studio" that I set up in my own home, where I hand-raised a bunch of praying mantises from eggs. This year my mantis husbandry skills improved, and I was able to raise several of them to adulthood, and even witnessed a couple of them mating! I know, it's incestuous, but in the insect world that's quite acceptable on a biological and moral level. This beautiful adult mantis was photographed with a ring flash after being misted with water. Look carefully and you'll see a little ring of light in each water droplet.