Carolina Mantis, females

Great find, John! These are two different color phases of Carolina Mantis, Stagmomantis carolina, a native North American species. They are both females. The females of this species have shortened wings and do not fly. They look gravid and are probably looking for a suitable place to lay eggs (mantids lay eggs in a case called an ootheca). Please consider adding this to the Marvelous Mantids of the World mission: http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/15738247