The praying mantis is the garden's patient ambush hunter. It sits dead still, forelegs folded as if praying, then snatches passing insects in the blink of an eye. A mantis in the patch is a good sign — it means there's plenty for it to eat and a healthy balance.
What it eats
A broad range — moths, caterpillars, flies, crickets, aphids and more. It isn't fussy, so it'll take the odd good bug too, but on balance it's firmly on your side.
How to spot it
- Green or brown and beautifully camouflaged, with those distinctive folded front legs.
- It swivels its triangular head to watch you — unusual among insects.
- In autumn, look for the frothy, papery egg case (an ootheca) glued to stems and fences.
How to attract and keep them: Mantises like shrubby, varied greenery for cover and ambush points. Plant a variety of flowers among your veggies (see our companion planting guide), go easy on sprays that kill the good bugs along with the bad, and leave a shallow dish of water out in hot weather.
If you find an egg case, leave it be — it'll hatch dozens of tiny mantises in spring. For the full approach, see our guide to managing pests the safe way.
Image: Azim Khan Ronnie, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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