Chinese Mantis

Tenodera sinensis

Chinese Mantis

Tenodera sinensis

Harmless

Not dangerous

Harmless. No venom, no sting, and no interest in people. A large female can grip a finger with her spined forelegs hard enough to be felt, and that is the whole of it.

SizeFemales 85–110 mm; males slimmer and slightly shorter

MarkingsLarge — up to 11 cm, the biggest mantis in North America · Pale green stripe down the outer edge of an otherwise tan or green forewing

WhereGardens, meadows, hedgerows and field margins with tall vegetation.

SeasonAdults late summer into autumn; egg cases overwinter

How to tell it apart

Large — up to 11 cm, the biggest mantis in North America
Pale green stripe down the outer edge of an otherwise tan or green forewing
Very long, slender thorax compared with native species
Egg case is a rounded tan blob, roughly walnut-sized
Head swivels to follow you, which no other insect group does as freely

Where you’ll find it

Introduced from Asia in the late 1800s and now established across much of the eastern and central United States. It is the mantis most Americans actually see.

Gardens, meadows, hedgerows and field margins with tall vegetation.

Adults late summer into autumn; egg cases overwinter.

How it behaves

An ambush predator that waits motionless and strikes with forelegs that close in well under a tenth of a second. It takes whatever it can hold, which at this size includes bees, butterflies and occasionally hummingbirds — the reason its presence in a garden is a mixed blessing rather than an unqualified good. Sexual cannibalism happens but is far less routine in the field than its reputation suggests. Adults die off with the first hard frosts, leaving egg cases to hatch in spring.

You’ve found one indoors

Leave it. It is not damaging anything structural and it is not a threat to you. If you find an egg case on a stem you are about to prune, cut the stem and wedge it somewhere sheltered outdoors rather than bringing it inside — indoor warmth hatches a few hundred nymphs months early.

Common questions

Is the Chinese mantis native?

No. It was introduced to the northeastern US in the 1890s and spread widely. The native Carolina mantis is smaller and now less commonly encountered in much of that range.

How do I tell it from a Carolina mantis?

Size, mostly. A Chinese mantis is up to 11 cm; a Carolina mantis rarely exceeds 6 cm. The Carolina also has a shorter, stouter body and a wing that stops short of the abdomen tip in females.

Do they really eat hummingbirds?

Occasionally, and it is documented. A large female at a feeder can take a hummingbird. It is uncommon, but it is a genuine argument against releasing them near feeders.

Is it legal to buy their egg cases?

They are sold widely as garden pest control. Whether it is a good idea is a different question — they are generalists and eat beneficial insects as readily as pests.

Commonly confused with

Carolina Mantis Harmless
European Mantis Harmless

Keep identifying

Identify another animal from a photo or return to the Mantises guide.

Previous: Orchid Mantis · Next: Carolina Mantis

Where this was checked

iNaturalist — Tenodera sinensis checked 2026-07-30

Last reviewed 2026-07-30. We identify, we don’t diagnose — what we can and can’t tell you.