Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis carolina)
The Carolina mantis
Unlike the large mantises introduced to the U.S., the Carolina mantis is native to our landscapes. Adults measure only two to two and a half inches long, and their colors range from green to gray or mottled brown, blending perfectly with stems and seed heads. Males are more slender and winged; females are heavier-bodied with shorter wings. In fall, females lay small, elongated egg cases (oothecae) that cling neatly to stems or siding, waiting out the winter until dozens of nymphs burst forth in spring.
A patient predator
Carolina mantises are generalist hunters. They perch on grasses, forbs, and shrubs, waiting for flies, aphids, small caterpillars, or even grasshoppers to wander too close. Their hunting style makes them fascinating to watch—but also complex neighbors. They will consume pest insects, but they won’t hesitate to take pollinators, too. In this sense, they aren’t tools of “pest control” but actors in the larger drama of a healthy, balanced insect community.
Their role in the backyard food web
Carolina mantises help stabilize insect populations by taking what’s abundant. Just as importantly, they themselves become prey: birds eat the nymphs, spiders catch them, and tiny parasitic wasps attack their egg cases. In this way, they link different levels of the garden food web and help keep energy flowing through the system. Their presence is often a signal that the yard offers diverse vegetation and low pesticide pressure.
Find the two mantis’…
How to support them in your garden
You don’t need to buy mantises to enjoy their presence—in fact, purchased egg cases almost always belong to non-native species. Instead, focus on creating habitat:
Plant native grasses like little bluestem and switchgrass, which provide vertical perches.
Add tall forbs such as mountain mint, wild bergamot, blazing star, goldenrods, and asters for structure and abundant insect activity.
Include shrubs like ninebark or dogwood for egg-laying surfaces and hunting posts.
Leave stems standing over winter and check for oothecae before cutting—if you find one, tie the stem to a fence or shrub so it can hatch in spring.
Avoid yard foggers and pesticides that collapse the insect base mantises depend on.
Keep a “wild corner” of dense grasses or shrubs where nymphs can hide and hunt.
A quiet presence worth noticing
If you garden in Chicago or elsewhere in the Midwest, you may not see Carolina mantises every year. They are often overshadowed by the larger imports. But if you build a yard that hums with insect life—layered native plantings, shrubs and grasses for cover, no blanket pesticides—you’ll increase the odds of these native predators showing up. They may not control pests in a neat, surgical way, but they add richness and depth to the living community right outside your door.
