Thesprotia graminis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Thesprotia graminis, the American grass mantis or grass-like mantis, is a species of mantis native to the Southern United States. T. graminis have been found in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. This species can reproduce parthenogenetically or through sexual reproduction. T. graminis are similar in appearance to Brunneria borealis and typically are light brown in color.
Mantids undergo hemimetabolism, a type of insect development that involves going through three life stages: egg, nymph (juvenile), and adult. Previously poorly documented, the reproductive ecology of T. graminis has recently been expanded upon. In a Master's Thesis conducted at Texas A&M University San Antonio, T. graminis captured from the wild were recently documented exhibiting a pseudo-iteroparous reproductive strategy as a semelparous species, with individuals either laying only once or laying additional egg cases before their death.
The eggs are laid in an oothecae. The female deposits a frothy material into which she places two rows of eggs. After deposition, the froth hardens, forming a protective structure that guards against predators... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an American Grass Mantis sighting in Everglades National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 292nd most-seen of the 496 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–June and December–January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an American Grass Mantis in Everglades National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–April and July–November, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Grass 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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate American Grass Mantis sightings, Everglades National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Mantodea
The closest relatives of the American Grass Mantis that you can see in Everglades National Park (order Mantodea, Mantises) are Grizzled Mantis (about 10%) and Larger Florida Mantis (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Grass Mantis is recorded against all the insects logged in Everglades National Park (9 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
