The European Mantis is a fairly large, green, brown, yellow or sometimes black colored praying mantis.
Males (4.5 cm) are considerably smaller and slimmer than the females (7.5 cm).
The male has antennae that are one third of its body length.
The female has relatively short antennae.
Both sexes have wings.
In general, the European Mantis rarely flies but the male sometimes flies when looking for a female.

Praying Mantises (Mantodea) are distributed worldwide, but are mainly found in warm regions.
About 1800 species are known with only 12 species in southern Europe.

During my walk through the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park, I was suddenly surprised to find this female praying mantis on my leg (3rd photo).
Carefully I put it in a quiet place to be able to photograph it properly.

A few years later in 2024, during a walk in Italy, I again found the same species of praying mantis on my leg (see here).
You would almost say that it seems as if this is some kind of habit of this species.

Arrimal, Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park, Portugal, 10 October 2021