EUROPEAN MANTIS
This is the most common mantid in Kefalonia, and one that you can find outside your house, near a light at dusk, waiting for passing moths. The European mantis has an elongated body, slender limbs and 2 pairs of wings once it has reached its adult development. Their colour varies, with specimens being either green, brown, yellow or black. Females are larger and heavier, attaining 90mm in length, whereas the male will only reach a maximum length of 70mm. The male has longer antennae and larger eyes and has an abdomen consisting of 8 segments, the female has 6 segments.
Mantids generally hunt at night, but I have seen them plenty of times during the day. They like to be high up, so as to have a good view of potential prey. They wait either stock still or swaying slightly and then grab the passing insect with their forearms, the spikes not allowing the meal to escape. The male is at risk of being eaten before, during or after mating and so he can take several hours to approach a female (you cannot blame him). Once close enough he will jump on her back and hold on for dear life!
