- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
So here's this gravid praying mantis perched on a Mexican sunflower (Tithonia) in a Vacaville pollinator garden.
She's in a butterfly state-of-mind, a picture of patience and persistence, a predator like no other.
She doesn't have long to wait.
A migrating monarch butterfly drops down to sip some nectar, a little flight fuel to continue his journey to an overwintering site along the California coast, perhaps 113 miles to Santa Cruz. Unfortunately, he lands on a Mexican sunflower right next to the praying mantis.
The mantis is as still as a stone. She holds her spiked forelegs in the "ready" position, ready to strike. She knows what she wants. She's in a butterfly state-of-mind.
Suddenly, the monarch looks up and notices that the gray "twig" next to him is not part of the flower. In a winged frenzy, he escapes.
And you wonder why many migrating monarch butterflies don't make it to their overwintering sites?
![An unsuspecting monarch lands next to a Mexican sunflower occupied by a predator, a praying mantis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) An unsuspecting monarch lands next to a Mexican sunflower occupied by a predator, a praying mantis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/39196.jpg)
![The monarch spots the praying mantis and in a winged frenzy, begins his escape. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) The monarch spots the praying mantis and in a winged frenzy, begins his escape. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/39199.jpg)
![The monarch escapes. A close call! (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) The monarch escapes. A close call! (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/39201.jpg)
![It's time to practice some more patience and persistence. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) It's time to practice some more patience and persistence. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/39202.jpg)