Monarch being eaten by Praying Mantis

South African praying mantis eating a monarch butterfly

Although the monarch butterfly is not an endemic species in New Zealand they do give a lot of pleasure to many of us and it is an excellent way of introducing children to nature. We hear a lot about the paper wasp praying on the eggs and caterpillars but did you know that the South African praying mantis is also a major threat.  It was observed this last season feeding on the caterpillars and even sitting on the swan plant flowers and catching the butterflies when they landed to feed on the nectar. So if you are growing swan plants this coming summer, search and destroy any praying mantis you see. If you are in Hamilton it is a good bet it will be of the South African species. The New Zealand native praying mantis is surviving in some areas of New Zealand so it may pay to know the difference (google it).