Popa spurca
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Popa spurca, also known as the African twig mantis, is a species of mantis native to Africa. It takes its common name from its resemblance to twig from a woody plant and grows up to 8 centimetres (3.1 in) long if female or 7 cm (2.8 in) long if male. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
No species of the same family or order lives in Nairobi, so these are its closest relatives here: other insects.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an African Twig Mantis sighting in Nairobi on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 58th most-seen of the 123 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.
January, April and July
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an African Twig Mantis in Nairobi on a given day, against under 5% in February–March and August–November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Twig Mantis sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 6 cities where we can rate African Twig Mantis sightings, Nairobi ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Harare (Zimbabwe, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Twig Mantis is recorded against all the insects logged in Nairobi (9 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.
