So... a new mantis! Any idea what kind this one is? (pics!) | Page 1 | Pets & Animals Main Forum | Guild Forums

kage no neko

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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 4:33 pm

We went to Dairy Queen yesterday, and on the way in, boyfriend almost (or possibly did) stepped on this pretty little mantis. I, standing behind him and seeing it heading for his foot, yelled out and possibly saved it? It's a really odd looking one, in comparison to our current one (who now has wings!). And it's one eye is damaged, but we're not sure if that's due to being stepped on or if it happened before we encountered it. It can move around just fine, but it clearly can't see out of that eye and will run in circles when panicked.

So basically now we have two mantises, one is his and one is mine (and no, they are not being kept together). His is "just a leaf" aka Leaf, and mine is "just a stick" aka Stick.

So, here are some pictures of Leaf and we're wondering what kind he/she might be, since it's so much more different than Stick.

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Also, for those who might be interested in Stick's new wings...
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(and I swear, Stick's turning more and more rose-colored!)

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 5:27 pm

I love the names.

Gabrielle_AnimalLuver
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Krissim Klaw
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 5:55 pm

Leaf looks to be a Stagmomantis carolina otherwise known by the common name, Carolina mantis. It is a girl. Females get rather fat with the eggs they carry and in the more bulky species even those with full size wings often can't fly. Thus in a number of species females only get half size or small bud wings since having larger wings didn't prove to be necessary in the evolutionary scheme of things.

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:56 pm

Krissim Klaw

Thank you very much!!

I was thinking Leaf might be a girl, because I read females eat more than males... and she's been pigging out, lol. Her abdomen is super round now. Stick's abdomen never gets that round, and I've tried to give him more food!

@_@ Do you think she'll lay an egg nest thingy? Or is she too young to have mated yet...

kage no neko

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Krissim Klaw
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:22 pm

kage no neko

Krissim Klaw

Thank you very much!!

I was thinking Leaf might be a girl, because I read females eat more than males... and she's been pigging out, lol. Her abdomen is super round now. Stick's abdomen never gets that round, and I've tried to give him more food!

@_@ Do you think she'll lay an egg nest thingy? Or is she too young to have mated yet...

She will lay an ootheca but that doesn't mean it will be fertile. Even females that didn't mate will lay egg cases. That being said, her having been a wild mantis there is a good chance she may of mated. The only way to know for sure will be to keep the egg cases after hatching for a month or so and see if they hatch. Keep in mind though, depending on where you live if the cold is going to be moving in soon hatching the babies indoors will mean a death sentence for them if you are releasing them outside during the cold months of fall/winter.

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:53 pm

Krissim Klaw

She will lay an ootheca but that doesn't mean it will be fertile. Even females that didn't mate will lay egg cases. That being said, her having been a wild mantis there is a good chance she may of mated. The only way to know for sure will be to keep the egg cases after hatching for a month or so and see if they hatch. Keep in mind though, depending on where you live if the cold is going to be moving in soon hatching the babies indoors will mean a death sentence for them if you are releasing them outside during the cold months of fall/winter.

Would there be any way to save them, or make them wait until spring to hatch?

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Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:50 pm

kage no neko

Krissim Klaw

She will lay an ootheca but that doesn't mean it will be fertile. Even females that didn't mate will lay egg cases. That being said, her having been a wild mantis there is a good chance she may of mated. The only way to know for sure will be to keep the egg cases after hatching for a month or so and see if they hatch. Keep in mind though, depending on where you live if the cold is going to be moving in soon hatching the babies indoors will mean a death sentence for them if you are releasing them outside during the cold months of fall/winter.

Would there be any way to save them, or make them wait until spring to hatch?

Sorry for the slow reply. You can do one of two things. One would be to store them outside and let nature run its course as far as deciding when it is time for them to hatch. The other option is you can store it in your frig, the drawer for fruits and veggies is a good spot for this. If you do so make sure to put them in a container with holes for air. It is also advisable to give the container a little mist every few days for a touch of humidity. Not enough moisture for mold to grow or them to get really wet, just a little spritz will do.

Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 11:45 am

Krissim Klaw

Sorry for the slow reply. You can do one of two things. One would be to store them outside and let nature run its course as far as deciding when it is time for them to hatch. The other option is you can store it in your frig, the drawer for fruits and veggies is a good spot for this. If you do so make sure to put them in a container with holes for air. It is also advisable to give the container a little mist every few days for a touch of humidity. Not enough moisture for mold to grow or them to get really wet, just a little spritz will do.

It's fine. I get on every day, I don't expect everyone to, nor do I expect immediate responses!

I showed my boyfriend your response (since Leaf is his) and he said he'll probably put it out on the porch then. It's an enclosed porch, so it'll be safe, but it gets just as cold on the porch as it does outside.

Thank you. smile