# Where Do Praying Mantises Live?

> Where praying mantises live: Gardens, meadows, shrubs, woodlands, native range cues, and human overlap. Status Least Concern.

- **Species:** Praying Mantis (*Mantis religiosa*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Carnivore (insects and other small prey)
- **Habitat:** Gardens, meadows, shrubs, woodlands
- **Lifespan:** Up to about 1 year
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/praying-mantis/where-do-praying-mantis-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/praying-mantis/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) is a predatory insect named for the way it holds its spined front legs folded as if in prayer. It is a patient ambush hunter of gardens, meadows, and shrubland, seizing insects and other small prey with a lightning strike. Most are 5 to 15 cm long, and adults typically live for about a year. The species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a sighting hotline. This page is native range and habitat.

## The ambush predator

A praying mantis hunts by stillness rather than pursuit, waiting motionless until prey wanders within reach. Its raptorial front legs are lined with sharp spines and snap shut in around a tenth of a second, far faster than the eye can follow, pinning the victim securely. Mantises eat insects such as flies, moths, crickets, and grasshoppers, and larger species will tackle spiders, small lizards, or even hummingbirds. They usually begin feeding while the prey is still alive, holding it firmly in those folded arms.

## Help protect the Praying Mantis

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/praying-mantis/where-do-praying-mantis-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.