The praying mantis is recognizable by its triangular head, large eyes, and specialized forelegs held in an upright, prayer-like posture. This stance belies its true nature as an agile and highly effective ambush predator. Possessing the rare ability to swivel its head nearly 180 degrees, the mantis can survey its surroundings without moving its body. Gardeners appreciate this insect for its role in organic pest control, as it helps regulate populations of various insects.
Natural Habitats and Preferred Vegetation
Finding a praying mantis requires environments that provide plentiful prey and dense vertical cover for camouflage. These insects utilize their slender bodies and coloration to blend into foliage, waiting patiently to strike at victims. You will often find them in large, open areas with abundant insect activity, such as meadows, naturalized fields, and vegetable and flower gardens.
The mantis prefers to perch on tall, rigid plants that support its weight and offer a strategic vantage point for hunting. Specific garden plants are highly favored, including rose bushes, due to their dense growth and insect traffic, and plants in the tomato family. They are also frequently spotted on tall-stemmed herbs like fennel and dill, as well as on ornamental plants like cosmos and coneflowers. The best search strategy involves slowly examining the stems, stalks, and leaf undersides of this dense vegetation.
Timing and Seasonal Visibility
The best time of year to spot a praying mantis is during the late summer and early fall months. Mantises undergo incomplete metamorphosis; the young, called nymphs, hatch in the spring and look like miniature adults without wings. These nymphs are small and difficult to see as they begin their lives in the garden canopy.
By the end of the growing season, the mantises have molted and reached their full adult size, making them much larger and more visible. This period, typically from August through October, coincides with their reproductive phase, during which adults are actively hunting to store energy for laying eggs. Since they are diurnal ambush predators, they are most observable during daylight hours, sitting on plants waiting for flying insects.
Identifying the Ootheca (Egg Case)
Finding the mantis during the winter requires searching for its egg case, known as an ootheca, which signals a future population. The female mantis creates this protective casing by secreting a frothy substance that hardens into a dense, foam-like structure that insulates the hundreds of eggs inside. The ootheca varies by species, but is generally light tan or brown, often described as similar to styrofoam.
These egg cases are typically deposited in late summer or fall and are attached to sturdy, immobile objects one to three feet above the ground. Common locations include wooden fences, thick twigs and stems of shrubs, the undersides of eaves, or tree bark. If you find an ootheca during winter, leave it in place, as the hard shell protects the eggs from weather and predators. If relocation is necessary, carefully detach the object and secure it upright in a sheltered area until the eggs hatch in the spring.