European Mantis

Mantis religiosa

The European mantis is a large hemimetabolic insect in the family Mantidae, which is the largest family of the order Mantodea (mantises). Their common name praying mantis is derived from the distinctive posture of the first pair of legs, which can be observed when the mantis is in repose, resembling a praying position. Both males and females have elongated bodies with two pairs of wings. The most striking features that the species have are a very mobile, triangular head with large compound eyes and their first pair of legs, which is highly modified for the efficient capture and restraint of fast-moving or flying prey. Source

Where it is now

In the last 8 weeks this insect was recorded 411 times across 23 areas (each area is a 5 degree square).

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Arrival dates

The week it was first heard regularly in each region, after at least six weeks away. Dates differ from south to north, so a region has a range.

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Figures are effort corrected and come from automatic sound identification, which makes mistakes. How this is measured and how it compares with human observers.