Overview
- Cornwall Wildlife Trust confirmed two separate garden sightings near Truro and Mousehole in early October.
- These are the first verified mainland England records of the European praying mantis, and no breeding population has been confirmed.
- Specialists say the insects likely arrived on strong winds or via accidental transport in luggage, with pet escape viewed as unlikely.
- Entomologists describe the species as a climate-linked northward mover and note it poses no threat to people.
- Members of the public are urged to submit records to iNaturalist and national schemes to track any establishment, alongside past sporadic UK sightings and established populations on the Isle of Wight and Channel Islands.