Praying Mantis?
Location: 3700 foot elevation in the northern Sierra’s
September 29, 2010 10:09 pm
I found this guy cruising around my yard. It looks like a praying mantis but I have seen those here and they are green. This one looks kinda camo color. Your help to identify this creature would be appreciated.
Signature: GB
Dear GB,
This is indeed a Mantis. We believe it is Stagomantis californica, the California Mantis, a native species that can be green or brown. Some tropical Mantids can even come in colors like yellow and pink.
I have one today in my yard in Corte Madera
Been in California all my life (60 yrs). I have never seen a praying mantis in a backyard. Today one showed up in my driveway. It’s light green. I live practically on top of Los Angeles International Airport. What’s it doing here? Should it be here? Is it an invasive species to this area?
Without seeing an image, we cannot say for certain that this is a native California Mantis or one of the commercially sold invasive species like the Chinese Mantis.