Mantis religiosa
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The European mantis (Mantis religiosa) is a large hemimetabolic insect in the family Mantidae, which is the largest family of the order Mantodea (mantises). Their common name praying mantis is derived from the distinctive posture of the first pair of legs, which can be observed when the mantis is in repose, resembling a praying position. Both males and females have elongated bodies with two pairs of wings. The most striking features that the species (and all mantodeans) have are a very mobile, triangular head with large compound eyes and their first pair of legs (the 'raptorial legs'), which is highly modified for the efficient capture and restraint of fast-moving or flying prey.
In Germany, M. religiosa is listed as Gefährdet [endangered] on the German Red List on the basis of an assessment from 1998. It is not supposed to be caught or held as a pet. At a global level, it is assessed by the IUCN as least concern.
Though females of M. religiosa are usually larger and heavier than males (6-8 cm versus 5-7 cm), the antennae and the eyes of male animals outsize those of the females. Along with the forward-directed, compound eyes, simple eyes also are found on the head. These... Wikipedia →
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a European Mantis sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 405th most-seen of the 978 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a European Mantis in Chicago on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most European Mantis sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
53rd of 55
Of the 55 cities where we can rate European Mantis sightings, Chicago ranks 53rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Bursa (Turkey, about 30%), Astana (Kazakhstan, about 20%) and Salt Lake City (United States, about 20%).
Same family: Mantidae
The closest relatives of the European Mantis that you can see in Chicago (family Mantidae, Mantids) are Chinese Mantis (about 10%) and Carolina Mantis (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the European Mantis is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (23 verified sightings), 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.
