alien v. predator

I hold Praying Mantises in high esteem as the kings and queens of the insect world. And, I've often likened them to be the most alien-like, with their unusually shaped triangular heads and large, compound eyes that seem to stare right back at you. In the garden they are among the most beloved insects to have due to their predatory nature since they feed, in part, on bad bugs. So, while it is true they're predators, this particular one got caught in a web, and lost the battle against a hungry spider. Can you see the spider at the end of its abdomen?

I was in complete shock and awe, in disbelief that this knight in my garden has been conquered by another beast of prey within its same pecking order (in my estimation anyway). So what else could I do but get my camera?!

When I was a young girl I was scared of Praying Mantises, not really understanding what was behind that praying-like stance. When I got into gardening and plants I realized there was no other insect that got my attention quite like Mantids. In college, entomology was my favorite class, and I felt bad for having to kill one to display in a case for a semester-long insect collecting project. I sort of felt that same sorrow, as it were, when I saw this one hanging in the web, barely alive as the spider sucked its life away.