A new species discovered

As I rode my bike to an appointment at school today, I felt something scratching or biting my right shoulder. I turned to see what it was and was terrified to see a gigantic, bright green praying mantis! The thing was an inch from my face! While still pedaling (I really should have stopped), I swatted at the tenacious thing with my left hand several times. It would NOT let go, which freaked me out even more. Then it was making clicking sounds or something. It might have been its wings. Anyway, I kept swatting and swerving until I thought it was gone. I kept riding and a few minutes later (after a few false alarms, during which I shook my head, swatted at my hair and nearly crashed because of my shirt tag), I decided it was gone. I was wrong. This bug must have travelled across my hair or my back until it reached my left shoulder. I caught a glimpse of it and immediately stopped my bike, nearly running into a well-dressed man in his 60s. (I hope he wasn't a university dean!). I asked him if there was a bug on me and he said yes, which made me start swatting and freaking out again. He said "Wait, be still. Don't worry, I'll get it." It took him three swats and FINALLY that bug was on the pavement. I thanked him (and the gentleman across the way who was laughing).

After telling Abby about this episode, she waxed imaginative. She described a bug called a "meninin." Here is what she had to say:

A: "It has a bump that has pokie edges. If you sit on the pokies, it will hurt your bum. It walks, it runs so fast and it has little tiny eyes, tiny, tiny, tiny. it has little silver black stuff that has little pokie edges and it has little gooey-purplie fishes on it."
G: What would you do if you saw one of these bugs?
A: "If I went near one of these, it will poke me on the back. The yuckie stuff is all over them, legs and top and all everywhere, tummy and head. I would run away and call for you and you wouldn't hear me across the street. I ran and found the house, and I was smiling that I found you and I said "mama, I'm so glad you're here!"

Abby later said she would "freak out" if she saw one of these bugs.