Polyspilota aeruginosa
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Polyspilota aeruginosa, common name Madagascan marbled mantis, is a species of praying mantis native to Africa. Adult females reach 8 centimetres (3.1 in) in length while males are smaller around 6 to 7 cm. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zanzibar City | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Antananarivo | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 3 | Kampala | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 4 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Flag Mantis sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 63rd most-seen of the 401 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 Flag Mantis in Durban on a given day, against under 5% in December, the lowest month. That is one of Durban's driest months, with about 40 mm of rain against 210 mm in January.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Flag Mantis sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
4th of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Flag Mantis sightings, Durban ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Zanzibar City (Tanzania, about 30%), Antananarivo (Madagascar, about 10%) and Kampala (Uganda, about 10%).
Same order: Mantodea
The closest relatives of the Flag Mantis that you can see in Durban (order Mantodea, Mantises) are Common Spiny Flower Mantis (about 20%) and Cryptic Mantis (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Flag Mantis is recorded against all the insects logged in Durban (33 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.
