Subject: Maryland praying mantis?
Location: Clarksburg, MD
August 19, 2015 6:48 pm
I often finf praying mantis around the garden here in Maryland, but they are usually green and have a larger abdomen (females) Thus one seems a bit different….longer, brown, and much more active.
Signature: Steve
Dear Steve,
We believe you are probably used to seeing larger introduced species like the European Mantis, which according to BugGuide “can be expected almost anywhere, because it is often sold as egg cases for pest control in gardens, even in places where it cannot survive long term,” or the Chinese Mantis, which according to BugGuide is “Widely distributed in the U.S. due to the availability of commercially purchased egg-cases.” Our native Mantids are threatened in some areas as they are smaller and they might be eaten by their larger, introduced cousins. We believe your Mantis is a native Carolina Mantis, but it is difficult to be certain as your image is not extremely sharp and much greenery obscures the insect. Compare your individual to this image on BugGuide.