Mantis religiosa
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
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 →
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a European Mantis sighting in San Francisco on a given day, based on 701 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 37th most-seen of the 737 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.
September and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a European Mantis in San Francisco on a given day, against under 5% in December to May, the lowest months. Those are among San Francisco's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain a month against 110 mm in December.
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.
29th of 55
Of the 55 cities where we can rate European Mantis sightings, San Francisco ranks 29th at about 10%. The best odds are in Bursa (Turkey, about 30%), Astana (Kazakhstan, about 20%) and Salt Lake City (United States, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the European Mantis is recorded against all the insects logged in San Francisco (701 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.
