Great photo! Good instrument for mantis genitalia study.
Awesome Idolomantis shots
- Thread starter guapoalto049
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guapoalto049
Well-known member
If I had an adult male I'd def put him on there when he passed away!
@Yen: This would be a great tool for that, unfortunately I know nothing about mantid genitalia haha. That would be a neat topic however, as I have a few preserved female specimens that I could take a look at.
@Yen: This would be a great tool for that, unfortunately I know nothing about mantid genitalia haha. That would be a neat topic however, as I have a few preserved female specimens that I could take a look at.
animalexplorer
Well-known member
I was thinking it would be a great if one could actually get high magnification images of tarsal claws clinging to a surfaces so one can get ideas of their preferences on branch selection and a more clearer perspective on their clinging ability. Even images of the molted skin of the tarsal area. Next time if your real careful you could cut above the molted tarsal where it is still attached to the surface and take it in to scan it? With an image like that, we could make better selections of branches with the perfect optimized porus surface possibly?
guapoalto049
Well-known member
That's a great idea! I did take one of the mantid's tarsus for that purpose, as you can see in the picture it has a very under-developed pulvillus (sticky pad). In the non-Empusidae families of mantids (especially the Rhombodera genus in my observation), you see more pronounced pulvilli for climbing smooth surfaces.
In my opinion, the Empusidae lost the need for pulvilli over time and species that put them to use (those spp clinging to leaves) developed larger ones.
I believe that bark, sticks, and any time of stemmed organic matter will be the best thing for Idolomantis. They don't live on nets in the wild, so I don't know why people would put such a notoriously difficult species in an unnatural environment.
I do have the skin from the Idolo, I'll give it a try this week in the SEM!
In my opinion, the Empusidae lost the need for pulvilli over time and species that put them to use (those spp clinging to leaves) developed larger ones.
I believe that bark, sticks, and any time of stemmed organic matter will be the best thing for Idolomantis. They don't live on nets in the wild, so I don't know why people would put such a notoriously difficult species in an unnatural environment.
I do have the skin from the Idolo, I'll give it a try this week in the SEM!
Precarious
Well-known member
OMG! I need an electron microscope!!! Too cool.
Look at those serrated threads winding around the spikes on the claws! Wow...
I have some corpses I can send you if you want.
Look at those serrated threads winding around the spikes on the claws! Wow...
I have some corpses I can send you if you want.
