Imagine my surprise, when late on fall afternoon, as I was strolling through my garden, I came across a couple in passionate foreplay about to have sex right there in my garden!

Although thoroughly surprised by my discover, I quickly regained my composure and formulated a plan of action... I grabbed my camera and started taking pictures!

My new frields weren't long on introductions. A little additional foreplay soon turned into more elaborate mating activity. The male's reproduction organ proved to be quite agile.

Almost immediately after mating, the female jumped [literally] at an opportunity to grab a quick snack. The male was much relieved that it was a yellowjacket and not him!

With her eggs fertilized and her immediate hunger satisfied, the next order business for the female was the construction of her the egg case. Although it looked like a series of bubbles coming out, the 'foam' hardened into a protective case that would withstand the winter's cold and wet. The male went off on his own and was not present during the construction of the egg case.

Here are a few parting shots of the female mantis after completing all of her hard work.