European mantis

Mantis religiosa Today, 3 October

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

now on eggs 25 days

on eggs Insect here all year

The whole year

29 September – 28 October

the coastal calendar, shifted 14 days later for this region

Sitting the year outGetting readyYoung aboutYoung leaving

Where to look

Dry grassland and garrigue in late summer; brown and green forms sit on what matches them.

Worth knowing

A mantis is only conspicuous for about six weeks of the year, in late summer, when it is finally adult and full size. Everything before that is a series of thumbnail-sized nymphs nobody notices.

Look it up

photos, sightings and recordings, off this site

iNaturalist — photos and where people are seeing it Wikipedia — Mantis religiosa

Regions

where this species is on the list

Dalmatian coastKvarner and IstriaVelebit and the DinaridesSlavonia and the Pannonian plainTukhlia, Ukrainian Carpathians

Phase by phase

dates as they fall in the region chosen above

Phase	When	Length	What it means
overwintering	29 October – 14 May	198 days	The species passes winter as an egg, larva or pupa; no adult is on the wing. The foam egg case hardens on a stem and takes the winter; the adults are all dead by then.
larvae feeding	15 May – 2 August	80 days	Caterpillars, grubs or nymphs feeding and growing.
adults on the wing	3 August – 2 September	31 days	The new generation is out, winged and looking for a mate.
courting	3 September – 28 September	26 days	Song, display, fighting, scent-marking — pairs forming or reaffirming.
on eggs	29 September – 28 October	30 days	Clutch laid and being incubated, or buried and left to the sun.

Other insects in this region

Buff-tailed bumblebeeCommon glow-wormEuropean hornetGreat green bush-cricketHummingbird hawk-mothRose chaferScarce swallowtailStag beetleSwallowtailViolet carpenter beeWestern honey bee

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