# Mystery mantids



## Rick (May 22, 2013)

Friend of mine studying in TX said he found several ooths and the ones he collected hatched a couple days after he brought them home. He isn't into mantids so he sent me six of the nymphs. Three died enroute but three look healthy and active. They were found just outside of the Guadalupe Mountains visitor center on Pine Canyon Drive, Salt Flat, TX. Below are pictures of the mantids which are L1 as well as pics of their ooth. He thought they were ground mantids of some sort. I am waiting on him to tell me where the ooths were located. I tried matching the ooth up with my ooth collection but nothing looks similar:

































http://s13.photobucket.com/user/RTrone/media/Mantids/dfddd_zpsefc6d8c9.png.html


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## sinensispsyched (May 22, 2013)

Stagmomantis sp?


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## brancsikia339 (May 22, 2013)

Definitely a stagmo


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## hibiscusmile (May 22, 2013)

I know nothing!


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## Rick (May 22, 2013)

The ooths were found attached to rocks a few inches off the ground. Which Stagmomantis sp. are found in that area that lays eggs on rocks near the ground? Yeah I pretty much ruled out any of the ground mantids when I saw these.


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## happy1892 (May 22, 2013)

Maybe it is a Stagmomantis montana. I think I have read that their common name is Arizona Tan Mantis. There is a Stagmomantis venusta that lives in the US but I think it is only in Florida. I found a small Stagmomantis carolina close to the ground hidden in a crack of a pot. Oh, and is the first ootheca (first picture) one of yours or was it one of the oothecae your friend sent you?


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## happy1892 (May 22, 2013)

Oh, no the Stagmomantis gracilipes is called Arizona Tan Mantis. So.....could it be S. gracilipes? Montana means mountain.

http://translate.google.com/#la/en/montana


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## Rick (May 23, 2013)

All of the pictures are from the same ooth these mantids came from.


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## agent A (May 23, 2013)

stagmomantis californica?

http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=29333


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## Rick (May 23, 2013)

agent A said:


> stagmomantis californica?
> 
> http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=29333


If that is a typical looking one I don't think so. If they are Stagmomantis I'm hoping they are one of the more uncommon members of the genus.


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## happy1892 (May 23, 2013)

happy1892 said:


> I found a small Stagmomantis carolina close to the ground hidden in a crack of a pot.


I meant I found an ootheca close to the ground.


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## Rick (May 24, 2013)

happy1892 said:


> I meant I found an ootheca close to the ground.


I have to, but not on many ooths on rocks.

Anybody else have any thoughts? If not guess I'll just hope they survive and wait and see.


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## mantid_mike (May 25, 2013)

agent A said:


> stagmomantis californica?
> 
> http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=29333


definitely not a californica ooth. if anything, that ooth looks more similar to stagmomantis limbata.


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## agent A (May 25, 2013)

mantid_mike said:


> definitely not a californica ooth. if anything, that ooth looks more similar to stagmomantis limbata.


But limbo hatchlings r greenLimbatae infantes sunt viridae!


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## MantidLord (May 26, 2013)

Rick said:


> I have to, but not on many ooths on rocks.
> 
> Anybody else have any thoughts? If not guess I'll just hope they survive and wait and see.


I guess that's what you might have to do. Very interesting, best of luck in raising them. I hope they're not just a common Stagmo.


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## happy1892 (Jul 14, 2013)

Anything about them?


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## happy1892 (Oct 29, 2013)

Updates?


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## Extrememantid (Oct 29, 2013)

Iris oratoria? I say L. Minor. But those are my two guesses


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## Ntsees (Oct 29, 2013)

Extrememantid said:


> Iris oratoria? ...


No, it's not Iris oratoria. Their ooths are elongated and not round.

I'm rather curious myself. The ooth resembles European mantid, but the nymph isn't European mantid due to the banding on the forelegs.


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## Lannister (Oct 30, 2013)

I'm curious about this too. It seems to resemble Stagmomantis, but I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be something more obscure.


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## happy1892 (Jan 8, 2014)

Did they die? Have you posted another topic about these mantises?


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