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The distribution and knowledge on the Mediterranean mantid Iris oratoria (Linnaeus, 1785) is here updated. Despite is beautiful appearance and presence in the social media, the scientific knowledge on its real distribution is poor and incomplete and this may affect its conservation at local scales. Citizen science records have been here compared with traditional science records, here updated with many new and original localities: this species is reported for the first time for Libya, Malta, Calabria and many Mediterranean islands and islets. The ecological preferences have been investigated in a retrodunal transect to investigate the preferred vegetation patterns for this species. The general value of citizen science records in evaluating the real distribution of a species have been tested here, using Iris oratoria as a case study for further investigations.

Lethocerus patruelis (Stål, 1854) is the only European member of the Belostomatidae family. During the last decades Lethocerus patruelis records have become frequent in south-eastern Italy, probably due to multiple accidental introductions or a natural westward spread of its range. The first records of Lethocerus cfr. patruelis for the Calabria region are here reported. The first individual was observed alive and photographed in Villapiana (Cosenza province), while the second one was found and collected in Prunella (Melito di Porto Salvo municipality, Reggio Calabria province). The status of Lethocerus patruelis in this region and in Italy as introduced or naturally spreading species is yet to be assessed.