Praying mantis named Czechia’s Insect of the Year as the species spreads across the country
The Czech Entomological Society has named the praying mantis Czechia’s Insect of the Year for 2026. Once found mainly in southern Moravia, this striking predator has spread across much of the country and is now turning up in places where people would hardly have expected to see it a few decades ago. Researchers are also asking the public to help track its spread, while keeping an eye on other mantis species that may soon reach Czechia.
I spoke with the society’s Petr Šípek and began by asking him why the praying mantis was chosen as Czechia’s Insect of the Year for 2026.
"Because it is a nice insect, it attracts the general public. There are a lot of rumours about its behaviour, and it is currently spreading very rapidly across the Czech Republic.
"This may be quite surprising for many people who encounter praying mantises outside southern Moravia, where they used to be mainly found."
So how widespread is it today, and where are people most likely to encounter this insect?
"Generally speaking, the entire area of Moravia and Silesia is now occupied by the praying mantis, and so is much of northern Bohemia.
"It is only absent from most of southern and western Bohemia. You can encounter it almost everywhere in steppe or meadow habitats. So not in forests, but on forest edges and grasslands.
"And usually, when the right time comes, let's say in the summer, the males fly towards light, so they are often attracted to houses. You may therefore encounter them in your garden."
What is behind this remarkable spread? Is it mostly due to climate change, or are there other factors as well?
"Actually, we don't know because nobody has done any research on it. But generally, yes, the climate is changing a lot, and we see similar patterns with spreading species whose northern boundaries used to be somewhere along the southern edge of the Czech Republic.
"The second factor is traffic. We usually find mantises spreading along railways or highways. Mantises, due to their way of life, produce something called an ootheca. It's basically a foamy cocoon for eggs. This is attached to some substrate, and in this form they can travel a lot."
The European praying mantis is currently the only mantis species permanently established in the Czech Republic. But there might be other species approaching our borders. What do we know about them?
"The only permanently established species is the European praying mantis. But already last year we recorded two or three encounters with two different species: the Caucasian mantis and Spallanzani's mantis.
"Both species are expanding their range in a similar way to the praying mantis. They are already established in the Pannonian Basin, in Austria and Slovakia as well. So it is quite likely that they will arrive here."
The Czech Entomological Society has called on members of the public to report sightings of these species. How can people do that? How can they join in?
"We like to use the tools of citizen science to monitor these developments.
"Usually, we ask people to use a mobile application called iNaturalist. It's quite easy to use and very helpful for the general public because you can take a photograph of any plant or animal you find.
"The AI algorithms do a pretty good job of identifying species. At the same time, the data are recorded and used by government institutions in the Czech Republic to create public records, which is quite nice."
As you said at the very beginning, the praying mantis is associated with all sorts of myths. One of the claims many people associate with it is that females eat their mates. How much truth is there to that? And what other misconceptions do people have about these insects?
"Yes, it's true that mating is quite a dangerous affair for male praying mantises. But it is not true that the male always has to be killed or sacrificed during copulation.
"It happens in about one third of cases. The reason is that males usually live for a very short period, around three weeks, compared to about three months for females.
"During that time, they need to find a female, and they adjust their strategy accordingly. When they have only recently moulted and become adults, they look for females that produce the most pheromones. These are usually females that have fed well and are therefore less likely to kill the male during courtship.
"However, as the male gets older and older, the chances increase that he will be eaten by something else, such as a bird. So he starts accepting almost any female he encounters. As a result, the chances that he will be sacrificed during mating become higher. That's basically how it works."
