Evening Magic in Photos and a Video
P. mantisummus?! 
This mantis has been eating well, because everything in there looks healthy enough to put on such a show in the absence of destructive bugs, though tonight the place was abuzz with pollinators. That horsefly in the video at 0.38 was following me as I walked through making it. I’m looking at a dozen flowers that will likely all fruit, with more opening this week. These are open one night only and close up at sunrise.
jvfreeman
James V. Freeman is an established visual artist (oil painting) with a deep interest in natural history, plants and farming. He has had numerous solo shows, a solo museum show, an upcoming museum show and his work has been featured in many publications to date. He currently has a studio in Williston, Fl at the family farm and homestead, "Cactus Island", and as a farmer, specializes in growing columnar cacti of the Caribbean and Gulf countries as well as the aquatic Madegascar Lace Plant. James and his mom Sharon manage and develop the permaculture homestead.
2 Comments
Cathy
I really love this video and the pics of the Walking Stick just bring me joy!
How mysterious and beautifully alluring the cactus blooms are…silently showing themselves ” for one night, and one night only”…
Thank you for filming these over-looked night sentinels Jim!
jvfreeman
Beautifully said, thank you Cathy! That may have been the highpoint of the summer for Cactus Island. The mantis photo, to me, takes the cake from what I photographed this year.