We couldn’t resist posting this selfie of a THI field technician and a Mantis.  The creature was safely returned its habitat during field assessment work on this project site in Virginia.  More than 20 species of Mantis are native to the United States, including the common Carolina Mantis, with only one native to Canada. Two species (the Chinese Mantis and the European Mantis) were deliberately introduced to serve as pest control for agriculture, and have spread widely in both countries.