Origami Insects

Cicada

A few weeks ago I bought a used copy of Robert Lang's Origami Insects. I had no idea the trouble I was getting into. On my sofa in front of the air conditioner I attempted a treehopper with a sheet of purple kami paper. An hour later I was pondering a lumpy mess, so I tossed my first attempt aside and jumped ahead to the praying mantis. But I didn't get very far. I was totally mystified by a simple seeming series of folds to the front at the tip. Then I tried the cicada. Again totally stymied about half way through by a simple seeming symmetrical crimp fold. I didn't like to give up though, and my fortunes finally turned with the grasshopper. In a single afternoon I got a pair of respectable life-size creatures (see On the Banks of the Choptank River), and also the courage to go back to the cicada and the praying mantis and try again. Only this time I sought out some help. For each model I used a sturdier paper and googled the numbered step that had seemed an insurmountable obstacle. In both cases I found a quick and easy bit of extra instruction. Here are the results. Not the most refined origami insects. But getting closer at least.

Praying Mantis