Mantis on Chard

I was wondering why the chard on the western side were so aphid-free all of a sudden compared to the ones on the eastern side of the garden...

A fat and happy female mantis.

Oh!  Well, that explains it.

One of the benefits of maintaining an organic garden is that mother nature will sometimes lend a helping hand.  Here's hoping that the mantis finds the aphid bounty to be so delicious that she lays eggs nearby.