Titanodula formosana
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Titanodula formosana, also known as the Formosan giant mantis, is a species of praying mantis in the subfamily Hierodulinae. T. formosana is found in China, Taiwan, Malaysia and the Sunda islands. T. formosana was originally placed in Hierodula, but a 2020 study moved the species to a new genus, Titanodula, based on its large size and the unique shape of the male genitalia. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Formosan Giant Mantis sighting in Taipei on a given day, based on 107 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 107th most-seen of the 765 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Formosan Giant Mantis in Taipei on a given day, against about 10% in July to May, the lowest months. That is one of Taipei's wettest months, with about 270 mm of rain against 90 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Formosan Giant Mantis sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Formosan Giant Mantis sightings, Taipei has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Fuzhou (China, about 10%) and Changsha (China, about 10%).
Same family: Mantidae
The closest relatives of the Formosan Giant Mantis that you can see in Taipei (family Mantidae, Mantids) are Giant Asian Mantis (about 20%) and Tenodera aridifolia (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Formosan Giant Mantis is recorded against all the insects logged in Taipei (107 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.
