How Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) Can Help Your Garden

Praying mantis

By Gary Boutin

Supplies and Tools: 
Praying Mantis (preferably alive)
Fresh Green Plants (Chives)

There are 2300 Praying Mantis species on mother earth. Some Praying Mantis have wings and can fly from bush to bush and some do not. According to the on-line Britannica "other names for the Praying Mantis are Mantidae; mantis; praying mantid; praying mantis". 

This post shows this praying mantis and how it was found laying on the hot asphalt driveway and what was done to find this Mantis a safe harbor so it can continue to populate its species.

About two weeks after the summer of 2014 several praying mantis started showing up around my home. Fig.1 and fig.2 shows the same Praying Mantis on a brown wood bench.

Fig.1 Bench

Fig.2 Close-up

Late September of 2014 while walking my two Basenji's, Kindu and Star, we noticed a very uncomfortable praying mantis, on the side of the our asphalt driveway. Capturing it was easy since the praying mantis had jumped over to avoid the many cats that roam our neighborhood. It was hot and not moving very fast. It allowed me to capture it and bring it to my garden. Fig.3 through fig.6 shows the praying mantis moving rapidly from one hand to another in hopes of getting away from me.

Fig.3 Walking on my arms

Fig.4 Walking on my arms

Fig.5 Walking on my finger

Fig.6 Walking on my hand

Fig.7 through fig.9 shows that the Praying Mantis was placed on green chives but soon realized the praying mantis was unhappy as it was perched on a white plastic chair. 

Fig.7 From my arm to chives

Fig.8 Moving to green chives

Fig.9 The white chair

While reading more about praying mantis the insect was moved from the patio to the front yard Begonias pots. The mantis immediately moved to lower plants stems and started to hide within the plant.

Fig.10 Free in the begonias

Fig.11 Moving away

Internet links about praying mantis.

1. Wiktionary Praying Mantis
2. The Old Farmer's Almanac
3. 2014 Dictionary.com
4. eNature
5. Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
6. Tom Clothier's Garden Walk and Talk
7. MOTHER EARTH NEWS: Nature and Environment Beneficial Insects Praying Mantis
8. Prey Capture In The Praying Mantis by Brian J. Corrette. The Journal of Experimental Biology 

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