Chinese Mantis - Blog Posts

Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis), nymph, taken April 19, 2025, in Georgia, US

My first mantis of the year! I just happened to see this guy parkouring away from me while I was focused on a damselfly. I had to lose the damselfly, but it was worth it since mantises are rarer! Chinese Mantises are quite controversial insects, since it is unsure whether they are an invasive species or a non-native naturalized one due to lack of definitive evidence. Many people destroy chinese mantis oothecas and kill the insects on sight, but I am much more partial to letting them live. I have seen several people claim that they are bad because they kill hummingbirds and other pollinators, while I have witnessed more carolina mantises doing this than chinese! My area is not very plagued by chinese mantises, with me seeing only 2 chinese vs. 7 carolina last year, and none vs. 5 carolina in 2023. It's an interesting debate, but chinese mantises have been in the US for over a century. If they aren't already, they're likely getting to the point of naturalization soon.

Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis), taken October 23, 2024, in Georgia, US

October is getting to the end of mantis season! 2024 was the first time I was ever outside looking for it, and I got to see lots of fun mantises, including this one! He was the perfect model, even if he got a little freaked out at the end and put his legs out.