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πŸ™ Mantises

New Zealand Praying Mantis

Orthodera novaezealandiae

Near Threatened

About

New Zealand's only native praying mantis, a small bright green species found throughout the country. It is now threatened by competition from the larger introduced South African mantis. Females are larger than males and occasionally cannibalize them after mating.

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Did You Know?

The native New Zealand mantis is being outcompeted by the introduced South African mantis, which arrived around 1978 and is now more common in many areas.