Vineyard angel?

I don't think so.  This praying mantis may look harmless and angelic, but Stagmomantis californica is more adept at preying than praying.  Happy hanging about amongst my courgettes, this miss, or mister, looks more like a mischievous green devil than a cheery cherub. 
One of the most successful hunters in the animal kingdom, mantises will eat just about any insect they come across - including other mantises.  However, being so indiscriminate about what they snack on means that they will also prey upon other insects beneficial to a vineyard.  Oops!
This is the second mantis, in less than a week, to pop up out of nowhere and commune with me as I go about my business.  However, it didn't have much to say for itself, its mouth was full.  But that's alright, I'm just happy that Vinoland has such a diverse ecosystem.  Hopefully, this mantis will cooperate and help me keep a happy balance in the vineyard.

Itsy bitsy.

Or not so itsy bitsy.  This yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) is freakin' huge, and I don't like her.  But Vinomaker loves her, in fact he has given her a name - Sylvia.  Lovely!
Sylvia got in my way this morning as I was finishing securing the bird netting on the Pinot grigio vines.  Luckily, later in the day, she moved from right below the fruiting wire to just above the drip line enabling me to complete this particular vineyard op.  Still, I wasn't happy about being in such close proximity to this leggy femme fatale (there was something grotesquely parceled up to her right), but I tolerated her presence as she is an important part of the predator/prey food web that ensures that Vinoland is, for the most part, a naturally pest free zone.  But still, don't like it.