# Kikori giant praying mantis



## Hypoponera (Jul 2, 2007)

Has anyone heard of this mantid? I found it in a kids book, "Praying Mantises" by Larry Dane Brimner, 1999. On page 25 is the coolest looking PINK mantid. It looks like a giant African in outline. It is listed as being from New Guinea.

The book is packed with very nice color photos and while common names are used, all but this one I can recognize. And they are used with the correct mantid. I will try to add the photo if I ever figure out how!


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## Asa (Jul 2, 2007)

No, could you try to add a picture? Sounds cool!


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## Hypoponera (Jul 2, 2007)

I emailed the photo to you. Let me know if you get it.


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## Ben.M (Jul 2, 2007)

If u email it to me then i'll post the pic on this thread as i dont think Asa knows how to do it :roll:

My email address is [email protected]


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## Asa (Jul 2, 2007)

> If u email it to me then i'll post the pic on this thread as i dont think Asa knows how to do it :roll: My email address is [email protected]


Oh shush :lol:


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## Ben.M (Jul 2, 2007)

Heres the pic  ,


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## Rick (Jul 2, 2007)

Looks like a typical african mantis.


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## humantis (Jul 2, 2007)

Considering how much undocumented flora/fauna there still is in Papua New Guinea/Irian Jaya, I'll bet there's some really cool specimens from there we have yet to see...


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## Asa (Jul 2, 2007)

It does just look like an African.


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## Christian (Jul 2, 2007)

Hi.

The angle is wrong, but I guess it shows a _Tamolanica_.

Regards,

Christian


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## Hypoponera (Jul 3, 2007)

BEN M- Thanks for posting the photo for me!

Rick- Are there African mantids in New Guinea? I also though it looked very "African"!

Does anyone know if this species is in or has been in culture? Is PINK the common color? Even my wife liked the look of this species!

Christian- What features shows that it is _Tamolanica sp_? I have also been told it might be _Amorphoscelidpe sp_ Alas, I do not recognize either genus.


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## Rob Byatt (Jul 3, 2007)

I'm with Chritian; it is either _Hierodula_ or _Tamolonica_, but it really doesn't look like a _Sphodromantis_.

I can guarantee 100% that is not from the family Amorphoscelidae :wink:

Did the book give any gudie to the size of this mantis ? To me it doesn't look greater than 3" comparative to the plant it is on.

Rob.


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## AFK (Jul 3, 2007)

it looks pic because of the printing. most likely, based on everything else in the photo with the gamma coloring looking off, the mantis is like brown/tan/gray.


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## Christian (Jul 3, 2007)

The pronotum is slightly dilatated at the supracoxal bulge, and the dilatation ends before the metazona ending; this points to _Tamolanica_. Those mantids are mostly brown, but sometimes they have a waxy tinge, which may look slightly pinkish.

Regards,

Christian


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## yen_saw (Jul 3, 2007)

Mike, Tamolanica Tamolana (New Guinea shield mantis) was one of the species I kept 2 years ago, i was busy with my license exams so shipped all my adult pairs to another breeder, unfortunately this breeder failed to care for them even i have mated the pair (i'm still dissappointed! :x ) and it was not available ever since. They are nice species. i should have kept the species with me


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## Asa (Jul 3, 2007)

Oh wow. The pictures in the book weren't too clear. That thing is 9 inchs long?!


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## yen_saw (Jul 3, 2007)

9 cm.

That ruler was brought all the way from Malaysia where metric unit is common, and my son loves Digimon.


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## Asa (Jul 3, 2007)

Thank goodness!


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## colddigger (Jul 3, 2007)

> 9 cm. That ruler was brought all the way from Malaysia where metric unit is common, and my son loves Digimon.


right, your _son_

i gotcha.... :wink:


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