Why no Mantis religiosa in Southeastern United States?

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Absence in NC is probably because of the pressure from Tenodera species.
That certainly would be a factor but Tenodera are not everywhere, if Mantis could persist here I think they would still be found in some areas without Tenodera. Perhaps they just haven't made it here yet. Part of the reason for the rampant spread of Tenodera is people buying the ooths and putting them out in their gardens. Are Mantis ooths as widely available for that purpose?

 
But the presence of Tenodera doesn't seen to affect the coexistence with Mantis religiosa in places like Delaware, where both Tenodera sp and M religiosa coexist.

 
But the presence of Tenodera doesn't seen to affect the coexistence with Mantis religiosa in places like Delaware, where both Tenodera sp and M religiosa coexist.
Excellent point. I think it is climate or simply geographical.

 
Okay. Anybody live in a humid climate with European Mantids?
I live in foothill of a small mountain just 3-4 Km away from the sea. It's a very green region and the combination of the sea plus the mountain and weather turns it into an unusually humid area in comparison to the rest of the country. According to my barometer, typical humidity levels range between 60 to 80%. In hot the days of summer it can decrease a lot but for a very short period of time.

I've been catching this species here since ever. Yesterday I caught 3 new M. Religiosas in less than 5 minutes in a 2 square meter patch of green medium sized grass. Their age ranges around L4-L6

 
Tenodera sinensis very common here. My area might be more humid than your area in Portugal. Is it always wet there? It is here. I cannot find any Tenodera angustipennis..... :(

 
Tenodera sinensis very common here. My area might be more humid than your area in Portugal. Is it always wet there? It is here. I cannot find any Tenodera angustipennis..... :(
They are quite patchy in their distribution. I lived here for twelve years before finding my first one by accident. I have a place down here that I find them if you're ever in the area.

 
Tenodera sinensis very common here. My area might be more humid than your area in Portugal. Is it always wet there? It is here. I cannot find any Tenodera angustipennis..... :(
Mostly cloudy, even in hot summer days but not wet. I almost always fail to find Mantids after a rainy day or morning/evening dew.

That might be your problem then.

 
They are quite patchy in their distribution. I lived here for twelve years before finding my first one by accident. I have a place down here that I find them if you're ever in the area.
They are patchy compared to South Korea. But it seems like less patchy than where you are. I often find one wandering around in lawn grass but still a lot of the time I cannot find them in patches of grass with a lot of insects.

Mostly cloudy, even in hot summer days but not wet. I almost always fail to find Mantids after a rainy day or morning/evening dew.

That might be your problem then.
I never noticed something like that. It rains every few days here.

 
They are patchy compared to South Korea. But it seems like less patchy than where you are. I often find one wandering around in lawn grass but still a lot of the time I cannot find them in patches of grass with a lot of insects.

I never noticed something like that. It rains every few days here.
That is because that is their native range as far as I know. So you can find them or you can't? You said earlier you couldn't, but just now said you often find one wandering in lawn grass. Talking about T. angustipennis.

 
i find Chinese and carolina mantis in my yard. im hoping this year will be euro mantis ooths laid on my property, lol.

 
The only mantids I ever found here where I currently live are Chinese mantids. Back when I lived in New Mexico, there was much more variety.

 
Got plenty of Euros here in New Hampshire, haven't found a lot of T Sinensis lately.. Except for the hundred or so currently residing in my bathroom *grin

 
I live in southern Ontario and Mantis religiosa is the only species that can be found in the wild here. Tenodera sinensis ooths are sold as biological control for gardens but I don't believe that this species has successfully naturalized here.

I always diapause the ooths of M. religiosa because in the wild of southern Ontario, they experience a cold winter.

 

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