An Unearthly Being?

We found this praying mantis this morning, measuring in at about 3 inches long. These things are fascinating to students, and also serve as good proof that those science fiction people? Aren't really that creative after all. It's actually one of those things that boggles my mind... every time you see some fantastic creature or planet in a movie, it's always just an extreme version of something we have here on earth. What could these things be like if we could divorce ourselves from all we know? And are there places in the universe that not only have sprung forth life, but have conditions different enough from ours so as to generate something we can't even imagine?...

In general, I don't spend a lot of time thinking about stuff like that. I'm not a sci fi/fantasy person. There's plenty of fascinating things here on earth, crazy, diverse, unfathomable things... no need to leave earth or reality in search of the amazing.
Primrose in full bloom.
Morning dew on big bluestem.
These white asters (no identification beyond that) have just started to bloom.