Brown California Mantis nymph on Palo Verde
Location: Mount Washington, Los Angeles, California
July 11, 2016 6:30 PM
We have been monitoring the California Mantid hatchlings in our yard after finding five oothecae on the same butterfly bush occupied by a California Mantid late last summer. There is a forest of primrose with many 7 foot tall plants in a small patch of our yard, and we have observed at least six green California Mantid nymphs there over the past few weeks. The California Mantid can be either green or brown, and there is some evidence that the coloration is tied to the surroundings, though one might counter that both green and brown Mantids might exist in the same location, and those that are better camouflaged avoid predators and consequently survive to pass on their genes as opposed to the notion that the Mantid will change color depending upon the surroundings. The Palo Verde is currently blooming and its blossoms are bright yellow. We just spotted our first brown California Mantid on the Palo Verde. Though we acknowledge that cannibalism is most likely occurring with the larger mantids devouring the smaller ones, nonetheless, there are far more this year than we have ever seen in the past. Thankfully we spotted those five oothecae last season while trimming dead branches.
California Mantid nymph on Palo Verde
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