Insects From my Horticulture Adventures

Hello!
When you work in the garden you encounter lots of arthropods. Whether they be flying, crawling, or just sitting there they are everywhere. Most aren't really noteworthy or are too small to capture with a phone camera. There are lots of butterflies, but they are too fast and don't really like to pose. But so that you can at least imagine, I usually see black swallowtails, cabbage moths, and monarchs. I've probably seen about 10 praying mantises but the one pictured is the biggest so far. It still hasn't grown its wings so it's still considered a nymph. I feel like they can see everything and when they look at you, their gaze is piercing. When fully grown, these creatures are even known to be able to capture hummingbirds!

Our next guest is some type of katydid. This one in particular is sort of small. Its leaf-like wings aren't as prominent as other ones I've seen. It's also missing a hind leg, probably lost to a bird or some other predator. Don't let the green color fool you; these insects are actually considered crickets (not grasshoppers) due to their long antennae. The variety I've seen in Mexico have large spikes running down their hind legs and people claim that if a cow eats one, it'll die. The name comes from the way they "sing" to attract mates, which sounds like "katy did, katy she did". I've never heard one sing but I would like to.
That's all for now. Hopefully I find more striking and uncommon insects soon!