A couple of days ago as I stepped through the front gate to go walking, I caught sight of a dead preying-mantis kind of insect on the pathway.  About 4 inches/6cm long, it struck me as perfectly coloured for this time of year, and I wondered if  the colours of this insect change as autumn advances.  So here it is with a couple of supporting pics taken today in our slightly dank mouldy-smelling garden. Nature never fails to impress – and winter’s on its way.