A NEW insect with “praying hands” has been spotted in England for the first time.
They have been seen in the Channel Islands and Isle of Wight before but this is the first time a breeding population has been found in mainland Britain.
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Praying mantises, named because their front legs look like hands praying, were found in gardens in Cornwall.
The Cornwall Wildlife Trust said the unique insects likely blew over or were transported in someone’s luggage from mainland Europe.
But they added it is also possible that the insects are from a pet collection, though think that is unlikely.
They said: “It seems it’s only a matter of time before they colonise mainland Britain.
“It is native to southern Europe but appears to be moving north. It’s considered a ‘climate migrant.”
The European variety of praying mantis measures to about three inches long and eats crickets and flies.
Dr Luke Tilley, from the Royal Entomological Society, told The Independent: “Praying mantises are charismatic, unmistakable insects, and their appearance in Cornwall is fascinating, a new animal to be spotted in the UK.
“At the moment, these are just sightings, not confirmed breeding populations, but they remind us how insects respond quickly to changes in climate and land use.
“Insects come in all shapes and sizes, and are superb indicators of environmental change.”
Praying mantises do eat honey bees, but they eat a variety of insects and are frequently spotted near beehives to capture foraging bees.
While they don’t depopulate hives, they are a natural predator that can consume beneficial insects like bees, along with many pest species.
Cornwall does have established populations of stick insect, owing to the county’s mild conditions, but not of the praying mantis variety.
However, locals in Cornwall said mantises had been living there for years reports The Metro.
One said: ‘There’s a site near Falmouth, which is very secure and which I won’t name, where this species has been doing well for at least seven years, which is when I first noticed them.’
Another added: ‘I’ve seen two in my St Agnes garden since January.’
Meanwhile, smugglers are making a fortune trafficking the latest weird pet obsession — woodlice.
They buy exotic variants of the critters from countries such as Vietnam and Thailand to sell to growing numbers of British fans.
The isopods, which come in many colours and have species nicknames such as Rubber Ducky and Panda King, can sell for up to £50 each.
While buying and selling the invertebrates in the UK is legal, non-native and endangered species are often sourced unethically from abroad.
Unscrupulous traders are shipping them into the country using plain packaging to evade export and import fees, and customs and import checks, The Sun has learnt.
