# How rare are praying mantids? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 13, 2006, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548 "2006-09-13T14:53:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/1 "2006-09-13T14:53:11Z")
I recently learned, to my delight, that praying mantids can be found around where I live (suburban Chicago) after a buddy showed me a pic of one he caught and was feeding live minnows to (and boy can they mess one up!). I think that’s fantastic and now I’m out to find one of my own. My buddy caught his in his back yard like it was no big deal. My problem is I’ve lived here most of my life and I have never seen one. I’m a pretty avid outdoors person who goes fishing and camping pretty often, so if they were really common I’d think I’d have seen one or two by now. Are they really rare and that’s why I’ve never seen one? Where do they spend most of their time? Help me get my mantis. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/2 "2006-09-13T14:56:42Z")
Well, about a week ago I think I saw a squished, run-over one in a Wendy’s parking lot not too far from where you live. Growing up in central Illinois, I encountered a few. They weren’t an everyday sight, but they weren’t rare. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/3 "2006-09-13T15:07:09Z")
You can buy mantid egg cases and hatch your own. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/4 "2006-09-13T15:10:24Z")
They tend to stay pretty still and are well camoflaged, such that if you aren’t looking for one - and don’t disturb one - you don’t notice it. Which does seem kinda unusual because they are pretty darned huge when you do see them. I live in the burbs W of Chi and have seen them most frequently when clearing brush/pulling weeds in overgrown areas. Occasionally I’ve seen them on walls - on my home, on a local supermarket. Not sure what disturbed them and brought them there. On such occasions I or my son placed them on some nearby greenery. I see a couple a summer, but never intentionally go looking for them. About the same frequency that I see katydids. ---
**Author:** ![ChipsNDip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@ChipsNDip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChipsNDip)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/5 "2006-09-13T15:29:50Z")
They eat so much that they are not high-density in population - so unlike some other insects you’d really have to be right place - right time to see one. Add in the very effective camoflauge, and you’re talking about closely examining plants regularly to have a reasonable chance of spotting one. So it’s not that they are rare in the “almost extinct”, but rare in the sense of “accidentally running across one and spotting it” sense. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/6 "2006-09-13T15:33:08Z")
Another west Chicago suburbs voice – I used to work for a garden center and would see them from time to time on the plants. Usually I’d spot them while watering the flowers since it meant that I was (a) staring at the plants and (b) the mantis would tend to move due to the wetness. Given that they’re colored to match their surroundings and they spend a lot of time staying still, you’re likely to miss them if you’re not in a good location and specifically looking for them. As **Thudlow Boink** states, I didn’t see them all the time but it was often enough that they went from “Holy cow! A praying matis!” to “Hey, nifty… another mantis.” They were neat though and would take a swipe at a twig if you tapped it in front of them. I’ve wanted to come across one to show to my son (don’t worry… I capture and release household spiders; this wouldn’t be a “pet”) but since I’m not outdoors like I used to be, fate hasn’t smiled upon me yet. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/7 "2006-09-13T15:39:11Z")
Thanks for the replies so far. I guess I’ll just have to look a little closer at some plants and such to see if I can spot one. Just in case anyone wanted to see a picture of the mantis my buddy caught eating a minnow, [here](http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g122/cluricaun_2006/mantis.jpg) you go. Not for the overly squeamish. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/8 "2006-09-13T16:14:38Z")
I don’t know about Chicago, but as a kid in the Bronx I used to find them all the time in weeds in vacant lots. It’s a matter of looking closely. Sometimes they hang out near flowers waiting for bees to show up. If you can’t find them yourself, hire a twelve-year-old to get some for you. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/9 "2006-09-13T16:14:57Z")
Freaky pic. I saw a nature show once which featured a giant mantis hunting and chowing down on a _mouse_. Horror movies have shown us insects eating mammals for years, but it’s still mighty disturbing to see it actually happen. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/10 "2006-09-13T16:30:40Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > If you can’t find them yourself, hire a twelve-year-old to get some for you. That is a really great idea that I can’t believe I didn’t already think of. Time to call the nephews… ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/11 "2006-09-13T17:01:02Z")
Is there much risk from handling mantids? As in, sticking your hand/arm out to one and letting it crawl on you. I’ve always been fascinated by them, but their fiercesome jaws are off-putting. Will they bite? And is their bite dangerous? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/12 "2006-09-13T17:06:27Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Is there much risk from handling mantids? As in, sticking your hand/arm out to one and letting it crawl on you. I’ve always been fascinated by them, but their fiercesome jaws are off-putting. Will they bite? And is their bite dangerous? Not dangerous. They may be capable of a small pinch. I doubt whether one could break the skin, unless it was an extremely large one. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/13 "2006-09-13T17:10:58Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > Thanks for the replies so far. I guess I’ll just have to look a little closer at some plants and such to see if I can spot one. Just in case anyone wanted to see a picture of the mantis my buddy caught eating a minnow, [here](http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g122/cluricaun_2006/mantis.jpg) you go. Not for the overly squeamish. Hoooorayyyy! New walpaper. Replaced the Centipede photo I’d been using. Thanks. Anyway, I’ve seen one on the side of a Walgreens Store that we were building at the time. It was about 6 feet off the ground sunning itself on the brick. Pretty cool, but I haven’t seen one around here since. I think they get even more rare the farther north you go. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/14 "2006-09-13T17:54:44Z")
Just in case anyone else was wondering what the difference was between a manti_ **d** _ and a manti_ **s** _, I found the [following](http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/trees/ef418.htm) on the net. Not sure if it entirely clears it up for me, but here it is FWIW: > [@University of Kentucky Department of Entomology](#): > > Although many refer to a member of this group as a ‘praying mantis,’ mantis refers to the genus Mantis. Only some praying mantids belong to the genus Mantis. Mantid refers to the entire group. Now, if anyone can tell me the phylogeny of Mant_ **rid** _… Rhythm ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/15 "2006-09-13T17:57:58Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Not dangerous. They may be capable of a small pinch. I doubt whether one could break the skin, unless it was an extremely large one. If you read Gerald Durrell’s account of his life as a boy on Cyprus, he had a \*very \* large Mantis just barely break his skin. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/16 "2006-09-13T18:09:02Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Just in case anyone else was wondering what the difference was between a manti_ **d** _ and a manti_ **s** _, I found the [following](http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/trees/ef418.htm) on the net. Not sure if it entirely clears it up for me, but here it is FWIW: I went with manti **d** as the plural of manti **s**. I didn’t think that “Praying Mantises” sounded right. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/17 "2006-09-13T19:23:01Z")
I see them a lot here in Kentucky, without looking. There was one on the window two nights ago, which we watched while we ate dinner. (He just watched us, as far as I know; no consumption of minnows AFAIK.) In addition, back in the spring, we observed several teeny tiny praying mantisesses outside on the back deck and in the grass. I should add, though, that I live in a suburban neighborhood with a large green space behind, so we have lots of insects, bunnies, birds, etc. _Centepedes_ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/18 "2006-09-13T19:49:35Z")
I was brought up in Chicago, and I’ve only seen a mantis in the area once, about 10 years ago. It was near the Morton Arboretum, and I just assumed they had released some for pest control. I thought mantises needed a warmer climate and Chicago winters would kill them off. from [Praying Mantis - North American Insects & Spiders](http://www.cirrusimage.com/mantidae_praying_mantis.htm) > [@](#): > > The Chinese Mantis, Tenodera aridifolia sinensis, (subfamily: Mantinae) is definitely on the increase here in northern Illinois. There were none here at all 40 years ago, when I was a boy. I definitely would have run into (and probably captured, and kept, and fed) them. But now, in the year 2002, I suddenly see them in the field in great numbers during mid- to late summer. His early experiences match mine. Does anybody know when the mantises began to appear in the Chicago area? ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/19 "2006-09-14T09:33:39Z")
Yeah, having grown up in both the Chicagoland Area and the Mississippi/Tennessee/Arkansas Area, IMHO the best method for catching one is to go out looking for them. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548/20 "2006-09-14T10:46:38Z")
That must be either a small mantid or large minnow. Or are midwestern ones smaller than their east coast brethren. In the Blue Ridge where I used to live they were downright unmissable. During summers I’d see several per day in the garden, hanging on our walls, wherever. Got a small pinch off one once that I was handling to show the kid. I was a kid in Chicago (67-71 and 77-80) and don’t recall ever seeing one there, though. Weird. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rare-are-praying-mantids/372548.md?page=2)