Method #1: visual search

Visually search for insects or spiders or other invertebrates on plants, under loose bark, on your house, your fence, etc. Keep in mind that many of these species a cryptic and they don't want to be found. Look under things, and look twice and odd looking bumps on bark and leaves.

For example, search for praying mantis & their eggs cases (entomologists call them oothecae). Praying mantis adults if feeding are usually on green coloured plants where there are insects e.g. near a flower. Egg cases are found in open, sunny locations on plants, sides of houses, fences, trellis, posts etc.

You can read more about praying mantises in New Zealand gardens here. You can see all the world's mantis species here.

@loretta30 in Whangarei found these two South African praying mantis egg cases (top and lower right) laid next to a NZ mantis egg case (lower left).

Posted on April 25, 2020 01:27 AM by jon_sullivan