Evaluation of the expansion of Mantis religiosa (L.) in Poland based on a questionnaire survey

Abstract

Mantis religiosa (L.) is the only species of praying mantis in Poland. The main habitat where its occurrence is permanent and confirmed is the Sandomierska Basin (SE Poland). Numerous reports suggest a significant dispersion of these insects in Poland. Therefore, we decided to use and collect information to update the knowledge about the spread of the praying mantis in Poland. With the use of Google Maps, we created a map on which respondents were asked to select the location where they encountered a M. religiosa specimen in Poland in recent years (2013–2016). In total, we obtained 159 locations for the European mantis. These findings show the significant spread of this species in all directions from its main habitat in Sandomierska Basin. However, there is a need for more studies on this topic, especially to confirm the existence of reproductive populations in the provided locations and to confirm the existence of two different M. religiosa lineages in Poland.