Any ideas what kind of insect this was from? There are 2 of them stuck on the window screen, and they are empty.

Sorry about that. don't know why the pic is so large. Scroll to the right and down a bit and you can see the other one a little clearer.

Not sure what they are, but I would keep that screen in place if I were you. They look like some sort of intermediate phase left behind as the winged adult emerged, but not many insects develop in that way and the ones that do are usually pond dwellers in this country. What is the actual size Carolyn?

They are about an inch long. If they are pond dwellers, maybe they came from the lake, which is just down the hill. And about the screens....there is no choice about screens in this part of the world. Even with screens and windows closed tight, little tiny flying bugs can get inside at night when they are attracted by lights in the windows.

I can't tell from the pic if this is what it is, but I do know that praying mantis shed a full-body sheath quite regularly.

As newlyweds, we couldn't have pets in the apt. But a p mantis had come in with some dried flowers I had picked in the field. 'Spot' lived with us for 6 months. We used to hand him moths from the porch light. He would take it from us with his little hands, tear off a leg and eat it like a hotdog. He never left the living room, until one night we forgot to feed him, then I looked up to see his head peering around the bedroom door jam - It was really spooky! Spot probably would have stayed with us longer if we hadn't had to take the Christmas tree out. (never could find him in it)
Honestly, the things we admit to on these pages!

Great story, Maggie. Its not a praying mantis.

Carolyn I guess it could be Dragonfly??????If not call the X-Files quick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!They can always use new material.......

David, Do you really think it might be a dragonfly? We have lots of them this year.

Now that I've seen the 2nd one (didn't scroll over earlier), I can see the 2 tail things. Doesn't that look like the kind of fly that the fly-fisherman try to copy when they make lures with feather bits and stuff. They call the fly-fishing lures, whatelse but 'flies'. Now, isn't that a lot of help ! There's a name for it,,, not a May Fly, but I can't think what it is right now. Can anyone else?

I thought Stone Fly or May Fly, but they emerge on or just above the surface of the water, as do Dragon Flies. How long do you leave the pots in the sink Carolyn? J

looks like creatures from a Star Trek episode to me! Do I dare start that again, Captain?

Of course you can Comrade G, but I for one have already used up my limited space vocab. We'll have to rely on Officer N to carry it out!

When you say 'emerge', Terry ... do you mean from one metamorphism to the other? What about when they shed their skins? Do they need to be on water for that? Our Spot shed for each growth stage and I was thinking that maybe that's what Caro's extra-terrestrial was doing?

That was my guess too Maggie, that something had shed it's old ectoskeleton and turned into the winged form.
The Mayfly larvae just float to the surface, the skin splits and off they go, all in a couple of seconds, any slower and the pondskaters get them. Most of the others climb up a plant stalk until they are clear of the water and then shed the old form.
I have always fancied having a mantis as a pet, but we have to buy them in this country, of course if someone wanted to send over an egg pouch.........

Ya know, sometimes those egg cases just camouflage themselves sooo well, that they look just like seed pods when it comes harvest time. ;-) If you have ever witnessed one hatch, it can be really unnerving - seems like millions of little green spiders crawling out all at once! Safety in numbers survival tactic. Be careful what you ask for... 'course some things come at the price of certain pics.

Terry, If I find one, I'll send it to you.

Someone might threaten to tip off the PO Customs dept .

Well then, I suppose we'd better check to make sure that its not unlawful to send praying mantis egg cases to the U.K. Somehow that didn't occur to me. My gosh! What if the country was overrun with beneficial insects! What a fiasco!

trust me, it is

stop messing with my bribery Caro.. mower pic, mower pic ;-)

Fine. Bribe away, Ms. Anonymous.

Just a note -- I use to love praying mantis until I saw one grabbing at my Giant Swallowtail last summer. He took it and gobbled the beautiful thing up within about 5 mintues. Ever since, I don't want them near the nectar plants in my garden.

Did he eat the legs like a hotdog, too?!! :-0
I'm with you on that too Gail, which is why I never buy any in spring when I bring in lady bugs. But I have found cases in the garden and leave them to let the natural balance find its way. I like to think that the mantises who do survive will eat more enemy moths than lovely flutterers.