# Help to ID these Mantids



## Xin (Sep 17, 2007)

**EDIT: Refer to the 2nd page for my next couple of mantids for ID**

Just a couple of days ago I caught what looks like an adult mantis, green colored.

My little brother caught TWO mantids at his elementary school for me

Im pretty new to Praying Mantis care so I dont know what species are my 3 Mantids, but I do know that they all could be males.

Now here are the picssorry for the quality)

~&gt;My first one







~&gt;Same one, back view






~&gt; Second one, front view. Oh and this one has a purplish neck and everything else is green. I was thinking its a bruise or something.






~&gt; Third one, I really dont know, 2 pictures











*So I would like to know their scientific names and their common names.


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## yen_saw (Sep 17, 2007)

Looks like an adult male _Stagmomantis sp_. Not sure about the exact species, where are you located?


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 17, 2007)

The one with purple neck is a Chinese or Tenodora Aridifolia Sininsis  

It's not a bruise, just one of its markings!


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## OGIGA (Sep 17, 2007)

I think the "Third one" looks Chinese.


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## Xin (Sep 17, 2007)

> Looks like an adult male _Stagmomantis sp_. Not sure about the exact species, where are you located?


You mean the first one?

Well Im in California, LA.

And the brown one has some white stripe running down it's abdomen

And if the brown one and purple one are actually chinese, then Im happy! I heard they get big!


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 17, 2007)

http://mantidforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8107

here is a colored pic of the two colors the Chinese come in, if yours match these, then your in luck


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## yen_saw (Sep 17, 2007)

> > Looks like an adult male _Stagmomantis sp_. Not sure about the exact species, where are you located?
> 
> 
> You mean the first one?
> ...


No the second one, not sure about the first one either sorry. _Stagmomantis sp _has bulging eye.


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 17, 2007)

Y :shock: ou must have some eyesight yen, how can u see that?


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## Xin (Sep 17, 2007)

Okay well the first two have that green on their sides that are greener than everything else, and I cant tell if that light part if part of their top wing, which could make them Stagmomantis, or if it was their bottom wing, which would make them Chinese, Im still observing

For the Third one(Brown), I took a closer pic, side view


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## joossa (Sep 17, 2007)

Since you’re in the LA area, check all of them for a red-orange to a light orange spot on the UNDERSIDE of their abdomens. The spot is big and is either on the second or fourth (depending on the gender) to last segment of their abdomen. If any of them have this, then their ID is _Iris oratoria_. If none of them have it, then you just ruled out the species!

The first one definitely looks like a Stagmomantis as Yen mentioned. Once you see the bulging eyes of the species, you don’t forget it. It could be either _S. limbata _ or _S. californica_.


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## Xin (Sep 17, 2007)

> Since you’re in the LA area, check all of them for a red-orange to a light orange spot on the UNDERSIDE of their abdomens. The spot is big and is either on the second or fourth (depending on the gender) to last segment of their abdomen. If any of them have this, then their ID is _Iris oratoria_. If none of them have it, then you just ruled out the species!The first one definitely looks like a Stagmomantis as Yen mentioned. Once you see the bulging eyes of the species, you don’t forget it. It could be either _S. limbata _ or _S. californica_.


I checked their undersides and found no red-orange or yelow like spot, so theyre definately not Iris Oratoria

and now to narrow it down

*Mantis 1 is Stagmomantis

*Mantis 2 is Chinese

Mantis 3 COULD be Chinese


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## Precious (Sep 17, 2007)

Ok. I'm not the sharpest tool in _this_ shed...but I don't think the second is Chinese...the shield should be more elongated and the wings appear to have a pattern...I don't see the prominent green strip down the length of the wings.

The third one really looks like a Chinese to me, L7? Female.

I dunno.


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## Xin (Sep 17, 2007)

> Ok. I'm not the sharpest tool in _this_ shed...but I don't think the second is Chinese...the shield should be more elongated and the wings appear to have a pattern...I don't see the prominent green strip down the length of the wings. The third one really looks like a Chinese to me, L7? Female.
> 
> I dunno.


Ok, then one and two are definately Stag^^

Oh and I doubt the 3rd is an L7 XD, its actually very small - 1 1/2 inches


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## Rick (Sep 18, 2007)

I don't think any of those are chinese.


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## the mantinator (Sep 18, 2007)

but the second one has a really skinny neck. All the ones ive caught have a bit thicker necks ( i mean thorax) Wich leads me to believe it's not chinese.


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## joossa (Sep 18, 2007)

> but the second one has a really skinny neck


...which is a key characteristic of most _Stagmomantis sp._


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## Precious (Sep 18, 2007)

> Okay well the first two have that green on their sides that are greener than everything else, and I cant tell if that light part if part of their top wing, which could make them Stagmomantis, or if it was their bottom wing, which would make them Chinese, Im still observingFor the Third one(Brown), I took a closer pic, side view


I told you _I'm not the sharpest tool in this shed_. That said, I'm looking at this photo and looking at my Chinese and even subtle details look the same. I certainly defer to the experts here, but this guy looks like my Chinese. What do you guys see that I'm missing?


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## Xin (Sep 19, 2007)

Ok guys bad news :?

Second mantid(purple necked), got his head eaten by Mantid 1..

Poor headless thing, trying to walk..  Poor guy had to go to the Freezer, R.I.P.

Well, My little bro caught another brown colored mantid at his school, and it has greenish legs, and it had a green part at either the top wing or the bottom wing that I see the bright green on.


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## Precious (Sep 19, 2007)

You didn't see that one coming?


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## OGIGA (Sep 19, 2007)

I just had a pair of mantises mate yesterday evening and they are both done and doing well now.


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## Mantida (Sep 19, 2007)

> Ok guys bad news ConfusedSecond mantid(purple necked), got his head eaten by Mantid 1..


From that I assume that you put them all in one container?

That's a very bad idea. Like you have seen, most mantids are cannibalistic. If they are together now, you should separate them otherwise another death will occur.


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## OGIGA (Sep 19, 2007)

Oh yeah, the only time I had a male eaten was when I kept the mating pair inside a tank or something.


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## Xin (Sep 24, 2007)

No I just had them both in one container, and Im glad I didnt put the others together *phew*

Oh and I found a female on top of my mailbox yesterday, and I dont know what she is . and I was planning to mate her with one of my male mantises.

Here she is:







More pics of Her:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y185/TheM...99/IMG_2629.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y185/TheM...99/IMG_2632.jpg

I hope this male is the same species, and if he is then Ill do my first attempt to mating these.

the Male I might try.


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## Andrew (Sep 24, 2007)

Lol, certainly not a giant asian. Don't find those in California. :wink:


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## Asa (Sep 24, 2007)

Ya no giant asian... :lol:


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## Xin (Sep 24, 2007)

> Lol, certainly not a giant asian. Don't find those in California. :wink:


Ohh Im sorry, excuse my Beginner-ness

Well I edited it

I need to get myself an informational Mantid book/guide or something that shows all the species and how you can identify each one :? :lol:


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## joossa (Sep 24, 2007)

> > Lol, certainly not a giant asian. Don't find those in California. :wink:
> 
> 
> Ohh Im sorry, excuse my Beginner-ness
> ...


Check this out, it might be helpful:

http://www.mantidforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8067


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## AFK (Sep 27, 2007)

why is she on blue rocks?

it doesn't exactly flatter her complexion


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