Invasive Asian giant mantids expand across Italy and neighboring countries

Two Asian giant mantid species, Hierodula tenuidentata and Hierodula patellifera, have been officially classified as invasive in Europe. A recent study links their rapid northward spread to climate warming and urban heat islands, which extend the active season and provide warmer nighttime conditions in cities.

The mantids have established stable populations in parks and gardens of Italy, Spain, Portugal and France, reproducing at roughly double the rate of the native European mantid. Each egg case can contain about 200 nymphs, leading to swift demographic growth that native populations cannot offset. Artificial “insect hotels” are being used by the mantids as hunting sites, increasing pressure on local pollinators and small vertebrates. Domestic cats have emerged as the main vertebrate predators, accounting for around 45% of recorded predation events.