Popa spurca
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report an African Twig Mantis sighting in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 52nd most-seen of the 68 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, May and October
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report an African Twig Mantis in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–April, June–September and December, 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.
Yes
Of the 6 parks where we can rate African Twig Mantis sightings, Ranomafana National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come West Coast National Park (South Africa, about 10%) and iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same order: Mantodea
The closest relatives of the African Twig Mantis that you can see in Ranomafana National Park (order Mantodea, Mantises) are Flag Mantis (about 30%), Tisma freyi (about 30%) and Brancsikia aeroplana (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Twig Mantis is recorded against all the insects logged in Ranomafana National Park (5 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.
