Can we just appreciate mantis diversity in the world!! , in India there are many cool ones but im curious to see the ones across the world since I only know mostly abt my own country’s species :)
here are a few that ive seen :)
this amazing bark mantis (humbertiella sp)
haven’t seen any rare species yet 
but I treasure this lil guys just as much !
I’ve only seen one mantis since I started on iNaturalist, a dead Chinese mantis. They are invasive in my area but still cool
Do you have a favorite mantis?
aww poor guy, ive yet to see these too
I dont have a favourite exactly, its more like favourite families
Hymenopodidae or flower mantises & Toxoderidae contain some of the wackiest mantises in my opinion 
This is my favorite sighting. My parents got the original printed on a canvas for my bedroom when I was younger. I find it hilarious that it is named the Giant Asian Mantis (yes, I know it’s a juvenile, but still).
I remember when I first saw a baby giant asian mantis, I had a whole photoshoot with it 
reminds me of that
such a tiny baby :>
Old picture, but I found this one at one of my worksites a few years ago. Very feisty. Tried to fight me when I picked it up. This is one of my favorite pictures, too.
I only wished that their diversity extended into Canada.
Out of nearly 11,894 iNat observations of mantids in Canada, 8,434 are Mantais religiosa (European Mantis), 2,808 are Tenodera sinensis (Chinese Mantis), and….
4 Tenodera augustipennis (Narrow-winged Mantis) followed by just two Stagmomantis carolina (Carolina Mantis).
But when I see what they have in the tropics? [sigh]
One can only pray, I guess.
Here’s one from my front door this summer (European Mantis).
And one from two years back (Chinese Mantis)
Pun intended?
Yeah, sorry.
The ‘Dad-joke’ gene is pretty dominant in my genome.
Sorry? I love puns!
I truly have a long story with mantises!
First, the common European Mantis, so cool!
Can’t get enough of these fellas!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/314537008 , among 23 other obs of this species 
What’s cuter than a mantis?
This dude! https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237512215 , Heldreich’s Dwarf Mantis
Then I have this cool guy: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237332579 , Transcaucasian Giant Mantis, not THAT giant tho.
Up next, an ID-able photo of this year’s mantis lifer: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/311435043 , Mediterranean Mantis
How can’t you love them?
hehe they do everything they can to run away when you try to pick em up but also jump at you when you walk away from them
:0 I didnt know that
the scale of observations is crazy 
cool pics man!
who doesn’t tbh 
wooow those are some cool ones 
so cool!!
When I look at the mantid ‘About’ page I’m soooo envious of warmer hunting grounds. Just spectacular range of shapes, colors, mimicry. And just top tier bug coolness. (It’s okay wasps. Yes, you still are THE major coolness shareholder in bugland.)
hehe whats with european mantises and tyres XD
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/271229033 heres the one I found
ikrrr even in my own country there is a disparity when comparing northern mantis biodiversity and southern biodiversity
one of my friends allowed me to share some of his finds (hes not on the forum yet)
here’s a compilation of sticks and leaves XD
Ambivia undata its a convincing twig, just not in this pic
Didymocorypha lanceolata very strange looking XP
Schizocephala bicornis also called Indian grass mantis (appropriate name indeed)
A true rarity!! Deroplatys indica dead leaf mimic and a dream species for me
