Gonatista grisea
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Gonatista grisea, common name grizzled mantis, Florida bark mantis or lichen mimic mantis, is a species of praying mantis native to the southern United States, primarily Florida. They commonly perch on trees facing down to wait for prey, and will eat any insect they can overpower. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Grizzled Mantis sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 70th most-seen of the 262 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May, July–August and November–December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Grizzled Mantis in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against under 5% in January, March and September–October, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Grizzled Mantis sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Grizzled Mantis sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Everglades National Park (United States, about 10%) and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, under 5%).
Same order: Mantodea
The closest relatives of the Grizzled Mantis that you can see in Big Cypress National Preserve (order Mantodea, Mantises) are American Grass Mantis (about 10%) and Larger Florida Mantis (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Grizzled Mantis is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (16 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.
