Developing

Yesterday, I assumed that Madam was basically finished with her growing process. Tonight, she showed me what my assumption was worth, by shedding her old skin again and displaying some wonderful new wings. I caught her right after the moulting was over, when she was still recuperating from this strenuous activity. She then usually remains motionless on a branch near to the exuvia for quite some time. That is when I took the picture of her and her new set of wings, which she displayed quite nicely. Unfortunately, I had again to shoot through the fly screen on the lower half of the window, and there was absolutely no way I could have reached her better from the outside - too many leafs in the way. So the picture is sub-optimal, but it conveys the message - she has wings now.
What makes me believe that my assumption that she is a female, is still correct, although she now sports wings (which are a preeminent indication of the male sex), is that she developed them only now. Mini-Me has shown developing wings very early in his life, whereas with Madam this is the first time we see that on her at all. My guess is that those wings will stay the size they are now, whereas Mini-Me's wings will grow to a length that will cover the whole aft body.
For female Mantids, the wings are merely decoration, and cannot be used for flying, as with the wings of the male Mantids.
But what a decoration that is - beautiful!

And this is Madam a few hours later, with wings folded away and at a much better spot to  take pictures of her.