Is It Really Illegal To Kill a Praying Mantis in Montana?

Some myths travel farther than any official law ever could and somehow, one of the strongest ones seems to have made it all the way to Montana, untouched by time or geography: You mess with a praying mantis, you’re going to jail.

Nobody remembers where it came from. No one recalls a teacher saying it. It definitely wasn’t printed in any field guide. But ask around everyone has heard it. The mantis is untouchable. Sacred. Practically a government protected elder.

Even Kids Believe the FBI Handles Bug Crimes

The other day, a praying mantis was hanging out on our porch. My son froze mid-step like he’d stumbled into a crime scene. He slowly backed away and asked, completely serious: “If I step on it by accident… do I get in trouble?” “Would the police come?”  Then, after some deep thought: “What if one of the dogs did it instead, do YOU have to go to jail for them?”

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Is There Really a Praying Mantis Law?

Being a responsible parent (and mildly curious citizen), I did the obvious thing, I Googled it, fully expecting to find some obscure wildlife rule buried in Montana code. Except… nope. No state law. No federal law. No sheriff’s department bug enforcement unit. No “Call Helena if you see someone harassing a mantis” hotline. The entire thing? One massive multi generational rumor.

How a Cool Bug Became a Legendary (Unofficial) Protected Species

There’s something about praying mantises that just makes them feel important. They stand there like tiny security guards, snatching mosquitoes like it’s nothing, and then slowly turn their heads like they’re silently asking, “You sure about that outfit?” They feel too powerful to harm. Somewhere along the way, “Don’t mess with them” turned into “You legally can’t mess with them.” And thus, the unwritten “mantis law” was born.

Please Don’t Launch a Mantis War

To be clear, this is not a call to start flicking mantises off fence posts. They’re actually helpful pest control and should be treated with respect. But if your dog sits on one, or one gets caught in a screen door, relax. You don’t need a lawyer. No one’s getting cuffed over a bug.

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We All Grew Up Believing Weird Stuff

Some of us were told chewing gum lived in our stomach forever of we swallowed it. Others thought touching a toad guaranteed warts. And apparently, across America, children were terrified of accidentally committing insect manslaughter. Turns out, the praying mantis isn’t protected by law. Just folklore.