Orthodera novaezealandiae
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Orthodera novaezealandiae, (Māori: whe) known as the New Zealand mantis or New Zealand praying mantis, is a species of praying mantis which is, as both the scientific name and common names suggest, indigenous and endemic to New Zealand.
O. novaezealandiae nymphs are pale, translucent green with a dark stripe running from head to end of abdomen. As adults, they are bright green and grow to between 35 mm and 40 mm in length.(see note ) As in most mantis species, sexual dimorphism means the female is larger.
The New Zealand mantis has a triangular head with slightly oversized compound eyes that give it excellent binocular vision (although they do have a blind spot). Its wings differ from those of other species in the "development of the archedictyon and the absence of cross-veins in the forewing".
"A very active little Mantis", O. novaezealandiae is well adapted as a predator. Its specialised forelimbs are long and equipped with extremely sharp spikes to trap prey. Blue eyespots on the underside of the insect's forelegs help in differentiating this species from Miomantis caffra, an introduced species from South Africa that became established in New Zealand during the... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Mantis sighting in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 51st most-seen of the 64 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Mantis in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March and June–December, the lowest months.
Between 5 and 8 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most New Zealand Mantis sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Only Abel Tasman National Park, in our data
Abel Tasman National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate New Zealand Mantis sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the New Zealand Mantis is recorded against all the insects logged in Abel Tasman National Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
