Praying Mantis Babies

[so lucky]

DH and I found a mantis egg case just hatching today. We watched it as maybe a hundred tiny pale mantises stretched and prepared to bolt. I at least thought to grab a jar and knock the mass off into it, and took them out to the garden.
There are about 5 more egg cases in the same area but they are kind of brown, where the one that hatched today is whitish.
Does anyone know if the brown egg cases are old? I have seen those things all over the place, and never knew what they were. Now I will be on the lookout. Do they hatch all summer long, or only in the spring?

 

[journey11]

Lucky you! I've only ever seen the brown ones, so I don't know.

 

[baymule]

Lucky you!!

 

[Carol Dee]

How cool to get to see those. DH found some last fall and put them out at the garden. I hope they hatched us some little garden helpers, too.