Observations of Chinese mantis, Tenodera sinensis , and prey at Chiwaukee Prairie, Kenosha Co., WI on Aug 29, 2020
During a migratory monarch butterfly count at Chiwaukee Prairie on Aug 29, 2020, our party encountered three Tenodera sinensis. Two were found on shrubs, and one was on prairie blazing star. All three mantids were observed for about an hour.
Chinese mantis 1, on a shrub (common buckthorn) adjacent to prairie blazing star and goldenrod, caught a monarch, a bumblebee and a syrphid fly. These insects, foraging on the blazing star and goldenrod flowers, were caught when they were about the same height from the ground as the mantis. Found in the area under the mantis were unidentified clear insect wings, parts of monarch wings and blue butterfly wings resembling those of an eastern tailed blue.
Chinese mantis 2 was also on a shrub; species of this shrub was not logged. The shrub was near false sunflower and prairie blazing star flowers. It was eating a grasshopper. Caught in the shrub branches and on the ground under the mantis were monarch wings, yellow sulphur butterfly wings, tiger swallowtail wings, small tan wings which might have been from a skipper, clear wings, and unidentified parts of insects.
Chinese mantis 3 was found on prairie blazing star and was observed catching a honeybee that landed on these flowers. After finishing its meal, the mantid caught a syrphid fly that came to these flowers. Monarch wings were found on the grasses adjacent to the blazing star.
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