Abstract Species introduced outside their native range can directly affect native fauna through predation or mating interference, especially when ecologically similar species overlap in distribution. Although Hierodula chinensis Werner, 1929, has recently been reported from western Japan and is suspected to be an introduced species, little is known about its interactions with the native mantis Hierodula patellifera Serville, 1839. We conducted laboratory trials to assess the antagonistic interactions between these species. In intraguild predation trials, both species preyed on each other as nymphs; however, H. chinensis tended to win when larger in size. Reproductive interference was also observed. Males of H. chinensis copulated with H. patellifera females, often resulting in female death. However, no copulation was observed during the reverse pairing. These findings suggest that both intraguild predation and reproductive interference negatively affect H. patellifera , with body size and developmental timing possibly mediating the outcomes. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential asymmetric interactions between closely related mantid species, highlighting the need for further ecological studies in natural environments.
Takenaka et al. (Mon,) studied this question.