August - the battle of two predators 2

Praying or European mantis (Mantis religiosa) is the most common mantid on the salt marsh. As the name suggests, it is an introduced species that came to the US in the late 1800s. It is still popular for "pest control", a notion totally opposed to the non-specialized nature of the mantid hunting, in which both pests and beneficial insects are captured and consumed. Case in point is this photo, where European mantis has eaten several Seaside dragonlets, a very beneficial dragonfly.

Although Seaside dragonlets are fierce predators in their own right tirelessly patrolling the marsh for flies, mosquitoes, and other small flying insects, they are no match for the fearsome pincers of a large praying mantis female.