I had one praying mantis left in a cage. It was a female and the only way she’d make more mantids is if I either catch a mate or let her out. Letting her go also solves the problem of having to feed her, so off to the yard…

l8 mantis climbing out
l8 mantis with hand

Although she hasn’t molted any more, her abdomen has been gradually increasing in size. Her eyes occasionally shift between black and green.

l8 mantis side
l8 mantis in grass

I gave her a little prod to get her moving off of the board, and saw a defensive display for the first time:

l8 mantis display