Native Praying Mantis

[Graham Saunders]

.

[David Riddell]

I think there seem to be a few more native mantises around the Waikato this year - have seen almost nothing but the South African ones for years. But in the past few months I've seen two around the garden, plus one at Te Kauwhata and the yellow one at Huntly I posted on previously. That has now moulted twice and is growing rapidly on a regular diet of flies.

[Neil Fitzgerald]

I've seen one in Hamilton in about a decade. Now just loads of African ones. I see them regularly in wetlands around here though (e.g. Whangamarino, Moanatuatua).
David, good to hear yours is doing well. Maybe you can start a breeding programme.

[David Riddell]

Interesting about the wetlands, maybe that will remain for them as a specialised niche after the South African mantis has chased them out of everywhere else. Thinking about it, the one I saw at Te Kauwhata was on the edge of a patch of scrubby vegetation in a swampy gully, the Huntly one was beside Lake Hakanoa (actually on a beggar's ticks plant, but among quite good wetland vegetation), so both wetland-ish habitats. Our garden is in Gordonton, on the edge of a block of peat that was once a big wetland but now well and truly converted to cow paddocks.

[Graham Saunders]

.

[Graham Saunders]

Blesssed on Saturday morning, whilst 'dead-heading' the roses accompanied by the calling of Tui, to have a native PM crawling all over me. This one survived it's encounter. Fitzy, do you want me to contact you when (if) I find another?

[Neil Fitzgerald]

Good to hear they are hanging on in places. I have a few photos already, so just take good care of yours and hopefully they will persist.

[Neil Fitzgerald]

Went outside tonight to see what was crawling around and found a NZ mantis! First I've seen here (7 years).

[Steps]

Been waiting for one of you camarea guys to put up a good pic,,,hopefiull 2 showing the distinct differences between the 2 species
Anyway found this link
http://www.canterburynature.org/species ... mantis.php

Im suprised ..sure I have seen these with brown bodies...never taken any notice...we have praying mantis all thru the gardens, house....other than a bit of fly sray in the house, havnt used an insecticide in the gardens, on the roses, veggies for around 10 yrs, maybe more.
In the early day of establishing the gardens about 17 yrs ago from bare land, nearly lost them a few times to things like snalls , meally bug...so despratly so had to 'hit the whole garden with orthine ...
Now..well since had the kakariki, and/or plants tress getting established..the bid life from tui to fantail, thrush , black bird and families of them, that have become quite tame...had a bit of mealy bug on a flax on a semi envlosed deck.
And the insect life like lady birds, praying mantis is so prevalient to actually to be an annoance but not to the extent one is motivated to do anything about it.....
except the damn native mosquito..even thats a 'blessing' they bite, one fells them, and only remains itchy for a short period...the introduced on bites cant feel and the welt stays itchy for hours.
Often wondered if the native mosquito eats the introduced or something...used to have the introduced, but with garden devaloping they disappeared just leaving the native????

[Neil Fitzgerald]

Ask and you shall receive.

(39.44 KiB) Viewed 9629 times

African mantis. Fat lady. Note the narrow mid section.

(36.59 KiB) Viewed 9629 times

African mantis. Male. Also has the narrow mid section.

(33.6 KiB) Viewed 9629 times

New Zealand praying mantis: note yellow and purple ear spot on front legs. Mid section is about same width as head. Nice shade of green too.