September 21, 2026
A surprise this morning. A Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis), clinging to a window screen, in the fog. Part of the surprise is its size, which is from the top of its head to the end of its tail, a bit over 4 inches, they can grow to the length of 5 inches. There is also the European mantis (Mantis religiosa) which grows to a length of 4 inches in length. Both seem mighty big to me.
And a native Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis Carolina) which is found from New Jersey to Florida, west to the Rocky Mountains. They have also been found further north in states such as New York and Connecticut. Also found in Mexico, Central America and parts of South America. I see them occasionally here. They are easy to tell from the larger non-native mantises since they only grow to a length of 2 to 2.5 inches.
Though they are looked upon as gardening heroes, all 3 of these mantises will eat not only unwanted insects but also beneficial insects and amphibians.
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