Honduran Mantis

I went to Honduras this summer to build a house and while I was there I climbed to the top of this small mountain and at the top I found some praying mantises. I had been looking around the whole week I was there for cool insects and such and had not found much until I found them. I was wondering if anyone could help me identify them I tried looking them up but it could not find them. Ill try to post some pictures but I'm not sure if I can. They were mostly a tan light brown color and not very remarkable colored but they had a dark strip down there back that went to the end of there butt and there last body segment seemed to be dark colored like the strip  with brown legs. There eyes were pointed kinda like an orchid mantis or one of those with pointed eyes. The shield on there back was pretty normal looking maybe a little bigger than a Chinese mantis and they were really small but seemed like they may have had wing buds so Im not sure how close to adult they were.

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I'm not sure what it is, but it is a little cutie!

- MantisGirl13

It's some species of Yersiniops.

It is indeed a cutie. Never seen it before



On this picture it looks cute. Love those eyes

Wow! ADORABLE! is this species in the mantid trade? 

- MantisGirl13

I dont think so the ones I found where in Honduras so they probably need a pretty high temperature and humidity (I found then during the rainy season) I dont know where else they can be found but a good chunk of Honduras is heavily plagued by drug cartels(mostly the north) and even in the south were I was there was significant civil unrest (protests and the like) so getting them from Honduras might not be easy and I wouldn't want to be caught in Honduras trying to smuggle them out as they might not let you leave the country for some time. I almost put them in a water bottle to try to take home with me but if you get caught and assuming they dont detain you for who knows how long, there are some very large fines and jail time to deal with.

Oh well.  I wish I could have one!

- MantisGirl13

Those faces are just amazing. Great find!