Anatomy

[Nacho Libre]

Does anyone know if mantids have compound eyes? When I see them close up, they look different from most insects, like they have similar eyes to mammals.

Also, how do you tell the difference between a male and female mantis? :?:

 

[OGIGA]

Also, how do you tell the difference between a male and female mantis? :?:

Males usually have more segments than females on the bottom of their abdomen. I think for a lot of species, males have 8 segments while females have 6.

 

[Rick]

Mantids have compound and simple eyes. The large eyes are the compound eyes and the small dots between the eyes are the simple eyes.

Telling male from female is not hard. Adult males and females are very different and it's easy to tell apart. On nymphs or non adult mantids it's a bit trickier and the easiest way to tell them apart is by the number of adominal segments on their undersides. Females have six with the last one being large. Males have more and the last one is small.

As adults females are more robust and wide and males are thinner and more petite. As adults the males abdoment ends in an upturned cup shape and his abdomen is long and thin. Females ends in kind of a hook and her abdomen is wide.

ADULT MALE:

ADULT FEMALE:

NYMPH MALE:

THIS PIC SHOWS DIFFERENCE IN ADULT MALE AND FEMALE, MALE ON LEFT FEMALE ON RIGHT:

 

[Nacho Libre]

Thank you for the excellent information and pictures!

Now I am going to be getting out my magnifying glass and counting body segments!

It is interesting how Mantids large compound eyes look sometimes like they have one pupil in pictures. I think I would like to see a really good close up picture to see all of their eyes.

 

[Rick]

Thank you for the excellent information and pictures!Now I am going to be getting out my magnifying glass and counting body segments!

It is interesting how Mantids large compound eyes look sometimes like they have one pupil in pictures. I think I would like to see a really good close up picture to see all of their eyes.

Remember you shouldn't need to count segments on adults. Anybody with even a little experience should be able to tell adults apart at first glance. But then again if these are nymphs you will need to count the segments. If your nymphs are like L1 or 2 it will be very hard if not impossible to tell them apart. You will have to wait awhile.