European Praying Mantis
(Adopted 1997)

Mantids or Mantises are mainly tropical. Three of the 20 North American species were introduced from the Old World. As a mantid waits for an insect or spider to pass within its grasp, it holds its powerful, clasping forelegs together, seeming to be rapt in solemn meditation. This posture explains the popular name for this insect-Praying Mantis. Our species are green, gray, or brown, sometimes with yellow markings. Female mantids secrete a foamy mass containing hundreds of eggs. You may find these attached to twigs, where they dry to a tough, paper consistency that last through winter. Mantids eat spiders and all kinds of insects, including some beneficial insects such as bees. However, they are generally regarded as effective destroyers of pest insects. Mantids also eat each other at times, but contrary to popular belief, recent research suggests that the female does not eat the male while mating.

Source: Peterson First Guides® (used with permission)