# went mantis hunting =D



## Dracomancer (Aug 5, 2010)

so i was bored out of my mind this morning and ventured into my backyard, went onto the side of my house where all the overly long grass is (its the desert we like any kind of grass when we have it!) and saw somethin move...looked and it was a teeny tiny green nymph..green! a color we dont get in the desert all that much..so..i caught the little fellow ran into th ehouse and dragged out my inventory of jars..hoping for good luck...well in 20 minutes i had captured 6 more of those nymphs..an adult female european(yellow like the other one i have) and unidentified green mantis about an inch and a half long...coulda swore it was european but doesnt have the black rings on its arms and is adorned with orange and yellow along with its normal light mint green coloring, theres still ALOT more out there...atleast 30 from what i saw walking through one small spot..on my way in i saw another nymph on my pant leg  looked at it and its green european nymph..he has the rings..all in all a fine hunt...will get pictures up once everyone is settled and has eaten


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## ismart (Aug 5, 2010)

I look forward to some pics!  Sounds like a great hunt!


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## Ntsees (Aug 5, 2010)

Southern California...hopefully some of those are _Stagmomantis californica_.


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## Dracomancer (Aug 5, 2010)

Ntsees said:


> Southern California...hopefully some of those are _Stagmomantis californica_.


maybe! dont know yet..the nymphs are tiny and..green..so not very easy for me to identify right now


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## Dracomancer (Aug 5, 2010)

well heres a rather bad pic of the sub adult i captured(damn camera phone) also ignore my messy room...its what happens when you have more pets then mantids residing in ones room lol


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## more_rayne (Aug 5, 2010)

Sweet, that's a good sized mantis! Looks like a European. What city you in?


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## massaman (Aug 5, 2010)

there is a possibility to its a stagmomantis limbata or a californica but wait till it is a adult to be sure!


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## Dracomancer (Aug 5, 2010)

massaman said:


> there is a possibility to its a stagmomantis limbata or a californica but wait till it is a adult to be sure!


well myg uess is one more molt and he will be adult...he has wings but theyre stubby and come halfway down his back..not full coverage...so..dunno lol


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## Dracomancer (Aug 5, 2010)

more_rayne said:


> Sweet, that's a good sized mantis! Looks like a European. What city you in?


nope not european..no markings under the arms...and i am in Lancaster


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## LauraMG (Aug 5, 2010)

Awesome! I wish I could find mantids like that! I don't have the eye for it. Sounds like you could breed yourself a mantis army out of your backyard!


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## Dracomancer (Aug 5, 2010)

Laura G said:


> Awesome! I wish I could find mantids like that! I don't have the eye for it. Sounds like you could breed yourself a mantis army out of your backyard!


yup pretty much XD all i need now is teeny tiny lasers to mount onto them and i can go for world domination =D rofl


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## massaman (Aug 5, 2010)

there is a possibility that it could be a Iris oratoria as well they dont have long wings either!


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## LauraMG (Aug 5, 2010)

Dracomancer said:


> yup pretty much XD all i need now is teeny tiny lasers to mount onto them and i can go for world domination =D rofl


Muhahahaha!!!!



Good luck with that!


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## Dracomancer (Aug 5, 2010)

massaman said:


> there is a possibility that it could be a Iris oratoria as well they dont have long wings either!


well whatever they are, i really like em...very lovely little mantids..i most likely have a couple pairs out of the ammount i caught today so i will breed em once they grow up and will post ooths and nymphs here on the forum in the classifieds if anyone wants any lol


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## yen_saw (Aug 5, 2010)

Dracomancer said:


> well heres a rather bad pic of the sub adult i captured(damn camera phone) also ignore my messy room...its what happens when you have more pets then mantids residing in ones room lol


That is not a subadult, it has wings. An adult female Iris oratoria, usually about 2 inches long.


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## Rick (Aug 5, 2010)

I have yet to get out. I should though here soon. September is really our best month though.


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## Dracomancer (Aug 5, 2010)

Rick said:


> I have yet to get out. I should though here soon. September is really our best month though.


i honestly dont know how we got so many in that one corner of our yard, just amazes me...maybe they just appeared because i finally got into the hobby? XD


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## Ghostie (Aug 5, 2010)

Good find!

I have been finding many here too lately! We have four large Limbata nymphs now!

I keep trying to find a male, they all look female to me!!!


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## Ntsees (Aug 5, 2010)

Nice catch, but like what Yen_saw said, it's an adult _Iris oratoria_.


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## more_rayne (Aug 5, 2010)

Ghostie said:


> Good find!
> 
> I have been finding many here too lately! We have four large Limbata nymphs now!
> 
> I keep trying to find a male, they all look female to me!!!


I have what appears to be 2 male limbata, not adult yet.


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## guapoalto049 (Aug 7, 2010)

I'm pretty sure its an adult female _Iris oratoria_. The shortened wings and the shape/orientation of the cerci seem to point this species. If you happen to see her hind wings and they have large dark eyespots, then that's the case.


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## SGcvn69 (Aug 7, 2010)

I think you ought to catch some more and ship us some!  

Congrats on the find though!


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## Dracomancer (Aug 8, 2010)

SGcvn69 said:


> I think you ought to catch some more and ship us some!
> 
> Congrats on the find though!


rofl id be happy to trade some nymphs...have an overabundance of these little guys at the moment XD


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