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European Mantis

Mantis religiosa

Photo by Josh Asel
Published on Project Noah
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38.4496, -123.116

Field Notes

Notes:

This was awesome for me because I have never seen a Praying Mantis in California before and they are my favorite type of insect. And we saw not just one but 3 stunning individuals, all with different camouflage which perfectly matched their surroundings.

Species ID Suggestions

European Mantis

Mantis religiosa

Reference Link
ForestDragon
1

Comments (2)
ForestDragon
Beautiful series, Joshua! I am fairly certain that all three of your lovely Mantids are European Mantises. Mantis religiosa has made itself very comfortable in North America. It has been sold (and may still be) as pest control and has established populations over much of the US and in southern Canada as well. Here is a link to a page with photos and info on Stagmomantis californica so you can compare. http://bugguide.net/node/view/7985 To see more images of European Mantises please follow the link I provided with the ID suggesiton.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Hunters & Animal Food Habits
Mission
Just Amazing - California
Mission
Northern California Flora and Fauna
Mission
2013 Best Wildlife Photo
Mission
National Geographic's Great Nature Project

Tags

Photographed
PublishedOctober 21, 2013

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