My good friend Polly across the island from me.

Species Mantis religiosa - European Mantis

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Working in my garden early this September, I was surprised and thrilled to find a three-inch-long green Praying Mantis clinging to the underside of a drying allium. I had never seen one outside of Eastern Washington or Oregon (I had always thought they were warm climate creatures), so naturally I happily snapped a picture and sent it off to all of my friends and family.

A week later, a friend from across the island sent an image back, ecstatic that they too had found a Mantis in their garden! Coincidence? Curious, I posted about it on Nextdoor.com/Bainbridge. Four more people reported Mantis sightings from this year. So, now I have to wonder: What is going on here?! And is this a good thing? A bad thing? Another sign of climate change?

While I’m certainly no Mantis expert (I’m sure that many of you know more than I do), I have done some reading since coming across my little (or not so little) garden guest. Here are a couple of things that I learned:

1. Praying Mantises are not, after all, native to the Pacific Northwest. In fact, they aren’t native to the US at all.

According to National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders,

“This Mantid was accidentally introduced in 1899 on nursery stock from southern Europe. At a time when Gypsy Moth Caterpillars were burgeoning in the eastern states, it was recognized almost immediately as a beneficial predator. They were introduced in the 1930's into the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia for Grasshopper control. They have been for many years sold commercially as egg cases for garden insect control (as well as Chinese Mantids, and occasionally other species). However, Mantids are so cannibalistic that they are rarely numerous enough to have much effect in depleting caterpillar populations.” (p. 397) (Meaning they eat each other.)

2. They eat pretty much anything.

The Journal of the San Juans wrote the following in a 2017 article titled, “Praying Mantis—Beautiful but Invasive”:

“…several reports of the European Praying Mantis in the San Juan Islands, as well as a live specimen for confirmation. This is a concern for the conservation of pollinators and other beneficial insects that mantids will eat indiscriminately. Mantids eat everything they can subdue, and do not distinguish between, what humans regard as harmful or beneficial insects.”

(Read the full article here: https://www.sanjuanjournal.com/life/praying-mantis-beautiful-but-invasive/)

Now, this article in particular gave me pause. I’ve seen a video of a Praying Mantis killing a hummingbird and, sorry Praying Mantis, but if you touch my birds it’s a serious demotion for you in my books. And now, of course, I’m sitting in my garden imagining that strange little bug-eyed creature decimating my bumble bees. But on the other hand, there are plenty of pests out there that I wouldn’t mind siccing them on.

So, after all my reading (even that last article) I’m still on the fence. Are they good or bad to have in my garden? Does the possibility of pest control outweigh the danger to my birds and bees? And, if not, what can I do to protect from this invader?

I would love to hear your opinions and stories, and to learn from any of you out there who might know more about the Praying Mantis and its possible implications for our Pacific Northwest. Drop me an email at: info@friendsofthefarms.org.

Thanks for reading,
Tami Meader

European Mantis Appearance

This species of praying mantis is light green, with a little variation in color tone. The species is easily distinguished from other species by the pattern on the inside of the front legs. Most species of praying mantis have small dots or specks at this part of its legs, but Mantis religiosa has a very clear pattern: at the top of the legs there is a black spot with a white dot in the middle. This mimics the eye of a predator. There are also yellow dots on this part of the forearm. The lower parts of the front legs have a yellow dot. The pictures will clarify this.

In this image with my friend, you can just make out the black spot with the white dot in the middle identifying it as a European mantis.