Watch out! That large insect on the loose in early fall is actually a gardener's best friend.

While farmers have been praying all summer for rain, these "green grabbers" have been prowling pastures and vegetable and rose gardens preying on those insects which might devour crops.

Praying mantis are seen quite frequently now through late October as they look to mate and leave a basket of eggs on a twig to hatch up through next spring. Look for them either resting on a plant or "fluttering" through the air, sometimes mistaken for a hummingbird.

The eggs begin hatching as soon as early December and may hatch well into July. Expect up to 200 baby mantis to emerge from each egg case. One egg case per garden is more than enough. Many people just love to watch them hatch and may collect several egg cases, then place the cases around their garden.

Praying mantis are carnivorous and will devour small flies and aphids, beetles, moths and cutworms. The females will often ¿- but not always — eat their mates, too, by biting their heads off during mating season.

The common name comes from two sources: their posture of holding up the forepart of the body, with its enormous front legs, as though in an attitude of solemn prayer; and mantis derives from the Greek word mantis for prophet or fortune teller.

A mantis body is elongate with the front legs modified into prominent grasping organs that catch and hold prey. When handled, their spiny-like forelegs can be readily felt as a "sharp pinch." The wings are well developed, but mantis commonly remain quiet in one place until another insect comes into reach. However, they sometimes cautiously stalk their prey.

When an unsuspecting insect comes too close, the mantis attacks with blazing speed, grasping the victim in its front legs. The struggling prey is eaten while still alive as the mantis cuts it up with sharp and powerful mandibles, or jaws.

When threatened, praying mantis stand tall and spread their forelegs to allow them to penetrate the target, with their wings fanning wide and mouths open. The fanning of the wings makes the mantis seem larger and to scare the opponent.

The primary predators of the praying mantis are frogs, larger birds, spiders, snakes and bats. The bats feed at night when the male mantis are busy locating a mate. Bats use echolocation to pinpoint their prey. Mantis are able to hear these sounds and when the frequency begins to increase rapidly, indicating an approaching bat, mantis will stop flying horizontally and begin a descending spiral toward the safety of the ground.

The natural life span of a praying mantis in the wild is about 10 to 12 months, but some mantis kept in captivity have been sustained for 14 months. In colder areas, female mantis will die during the winter. Males tend to "suddenly" die about 2 to 3 weeks after mating in the fall. Their deaths are usually caused by the female's urge to kill off the male once the egg pouch has been produced.

Nearly 1,700 varieties of praying mantis live in North America, resulting in different color, sizes and shapes. Some appear to resemble leaves or flowers in shape and color. They all share the common desire to clean up your garden.

Are you interested in enlisting natural enemies against insect pests?

Except for extreme outbreaks, natural predators can effectively control many pests. While some growers will buy these beneficial insects through gardening catalogs or web sites, bear in mind that it is not always necessary or very economical to purchase them. A better approach is first to learn to recognize the egg, immature stages, and adults of these insects so that you do not mistakenly destroy them.

Next, use insecticides carefully so as to not kill your allies. Let nature's predators do the work instead.

Much ado about Mantis

• Can turn its head 180 degrees

• Attacks beetles, frogs, spiders, mice, lizards and small birds

• Grabs prey with its front legs

• Squeezes as it bites victim's neck

Jennifer Frohnapfel is a member of the Penn State Master Gardeners of Butler County and has been certified for two years.