Insect
Narrow-winged Mantis
Tenodera angustipennisAlso known as Japanese Mantis, Narrow-winged Praying Mantis
Narrow-winged mantises are slender ambush predators that blend seamlessly into tall grasses, garden borders, and shrubby field edges. Adults rely on camouflage to stalk grasshoppers, flies, and moths before snatching them with lightning-fast raptorial forelegs. In late autumn, females construct elongated tan egg cases on plant stems before the first killing frost.
Ambush PredatorCamouflageIntroduced
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyGrasshoppers, Crickets, Moths
Predators
- Birds
- Bats
- Spiders
ThreatsPesticide use, severe winter cold, habitat destruction
HabitatsMeadows, brushy fields, garden margins, overgrown clearings
Life span6–9 months
Classification
- OrderMantodea
- FamilyMantidae
- GenusTenodera
- SpeciesTenodera angustipennis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Capable of a mild pinch with raptorial forelegs if handled; observe without picking up.
Responsible observation
- Observation: Look for adults clinging to goldenrod stems or shrub branches in early autumn.
- Identification: Check for a reddish-orange mark between the front legs to distinguish it from the Chinese mantis.
- Handling: Allow the mantis to walk onto an open hand gently rather than grasping its body.
Co-occurring Mantis Kaldari / Public domain · cc0
Co-occurring Mantis "European Mantis - Mantis religiosa" by Björn S... is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. · cc-by-sa
Prey no rights reserved, uploaded by Dennis White · cc0
Close Relative Luc Viatour / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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