Mantids on the Move

European praying mantis seen in Brno, South Moravia

Expanding the Range

The European praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) is the only mantis endemic to the Czech Republic. Until 2026, it’s range was limited to the South Moravian regions. However, the recent heat waves have seen it dramatically extend its range across the country.

As insects go, it’s one of the “good guys”, so I was happy to see one on my walk this morning.

The Czech Entomological Society named the praying mantis as the country’s Insect of the Year for 2026. You can find out more at this link: https://english.radio.cz/praying-mantis-named-czechias-insect-year-species-spreads-across-country-8889336

Vintage in the Centre!

This weekend, 13-14. 6.2026, The centre of Brno is full of vintage public transport vehicles from the runable fleet maintained by the Brno Technical Museum and the city’s public transport service. Buses, trams, and trolley buses from various eras are available for viewing and riding.

On Saturday, there were also many vintage cars passing through Brno as part of the annual 1000 mil českoslevenských ralley from Prague to Bratislava and back.

Here’s some of what was on view on Saturday: