Jennerstown, Pennsylvania: Praying Mantis Statue

We drove by yesterday and the statue was not there.

Survivor, the 9-foot tall praying mantis, is located at Second Time Around/Weeds N Seeds at 2811 Lincoln Highway just outside of Boswell, Pa. Halloween of 2007 he was taken across the highway and broken. Survivor has since been fixed and had another accident. He is being worked on now.

I've owned Survivor for 28 or so years. He was part of a business that burned down along with a cave man. Surviving also was another large fiberglass animal that has been transported out of the area. Survivor was named by a young local lad as part of a "safe Halloween" program for Easter Seal Society.

I live in the area, and have an interesting story about the praying mantis statue. Three or four years ago, we noticed an oddity while driving past the giant bug. Between its arms was a sign: "Please bring back my head!" Apparently someone (or some female mantis) felt it was necessary to decapitate the critter. The head has since returned, and the mantis sometimes sports the santa suit, and on the 4th of July has been seen with a patriotic ribbon around its neck.

Ten foot tall praying mantis on the front lawn of a daycare center. During Christmas season, the praying mantis is clad in a Santa Claus suit.