# Is it possible to identify mantis from ooth



## willgood (Aug 13, 2005)

I recently bought two ooths from the local hardware store in the plant section. There were two types of packages, one red and one purple, the ootheca in the red bag was bigger and the one in the purple was smaller. Maybe someone has seen them before, the "manufacturer" was ladies in red but the packaging said nothing about their species. Im guessing its a common type because the ooths were fairly inexpensive. I can post pictures if necessary and if you can tell species from what the ootheca looks like.


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## Rick (Aug 13, 2005)

Generally you can tell or at least get close. Post the pics. I bet it's from a chinese mantis.


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## willgood (Aug 13, 2005)

yea, im thinking they will be very common type. Ill have pics up in a few minutes, but they wont be the greatest quality.

ok here we go, first three are from the biggest ooth

















and these three pictures are from the smaller ooth


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## PseudoDave (Aug 14, 2005)

I'd be inclined to say Polyspilotta aeruginosa m'self


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## Ian (Aug 14, 2005)

yeah, I would say polyspil for the first ones, and tenodera for the second.

Cheers,

Ian


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## Rick (Aug 14, 2005)

Where are you located? I would say they are all tenedora (chinese)


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## Ian (Aug 14, 2005)

the shape of the tenodera below look very much like that of the taiwan sub species, much more selnder, with a tail on the top.

Cheers,

Ian


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## Rick (Aug 14, 2005)

I have found that shape on tenedora cases around here on many occasions. Seems that usually it's the third or later ooth that looks like that.


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## willgood (Aug 14, 2005)

im in the northwest but im not sure where "ladies in red" is located at because im guesssing they came from there.


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## Rick (Aug 14, 2005)

More than likely they are tenedora ooths. Let them hatch and then see what you get.


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## Andrew (Aug 14, 2005)

If you are in the US and you found them in a garden/hardware store, then chances are 99.9% its a chinese ooth.

Thanks,

Andrew


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