Overview
- This summer has produced the highest number of mantis sightings on record in Germany, with observers able to find them through late September.
- NABU says the insect is now common along the Rhine and has growing concentrations in parts of eastern Germany, with local hotspots in Thüringen such as Kyffhäuserkreis, Mittleres Saaletal and Landkreis Sömmerda.
- The mantis prefers sunny, dry open habitats like grass and bushland, halbtrockenrasen and ruderal sites, which are becoming more widespread as summers warm and dry.
- The species is harmless to people and easy to photograph, but shows notable behavior: it hunts other insects and about one third of males are eaten by females after mating.
- Conservationists ask citizens to send photos with locations to NABU to improve mapping because eggs overwinter in oothecae and confirming local breeding sites matters for understanding future establishment.