Ameles spallanzania
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Ameles spallanzania, common name European dwarf mantis, is a species of praying mantis. The species name spallanzania honors the Italian naturalist Lazzaro Spallanzani. Ameles spallanzania can reach a length of 18–40 millimetres (0.71–1.57 in). Their colour may be brown, green, ochre or grey. The eyes are slightly pointed, antennae are threadlike, the pronotum is short and squared and the broad abdomen of the females is commonly curled upwards. This very small mantid (hence the common name) is characterized by an evident sexual dimorphism. The males are winged and have a quite slender body, while females show stubby bodies and are unable to fly, as they possess only small wing vestiges (brachypterous).
This thermophile species shows adaptable life-cycle strategies in different latitudes, as hatching earlier, more than one generation per year or overwintering nymphs or oothecae. Adults can be found from late spring to late summer, depending on the latitude. Nymphs usually hatch in July and the ootheca is commonly laid in September.
Similarly to the common Mantis religiosa the females may cannibalise the males whilst mating. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madrid | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a European Dwarf Mantis sighting in Madrid on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 226th most-seen of the 457 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May, July and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a European Dwarf Mantis in Madrid on a given day, against under 5% in June, August and October–April, the lowest months.
Between 4 and 7 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most European Dwarf Mantis sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Only Madrid, in our data
Madrid is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate European Dwarf Mantis sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the European Dwarf Mantis is recorded against all the insects logged in Madrid (14 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.
