Could you *** an L3 D. truncata?

[Ratmosphere]

Just received my first D. truncata that was listed as an L3 unsexed. Now the guy I traded with said it's a male? Kind of a slap in the face to be honest. Is there any way to be really sure it's a male at this stage? 

 

[Velve]

I'd say L3 is too early for most mantids to reliably tell the gender, only certain species have clear differences that do not involve counting segments. Deroplatys species start forming different shapes of shields from L4 on though.

 

[Ranitomeya]

I have not been able to *** Deroplatys truncata reliably at L3. The females look like the males at that point even when you're counting the abdominal sternites.

 

[MantisRCool]

Not reliably, wait till L4

 

[Ratmosphere]

Thanks guys. Here is the mantis.

 

[CosbyArt]

@Ratmosphere The only way at the moment to determine gender for your nymph is the segment counting method, see the post by Rick.

Looking at your photos however it is impossible for me to see the bottom segments, and the images appear to be ran through some strange filter that flattened the detail or just a low megapixel camera. Ideally the photo is done of the mantid through plastic or glass of the underside/bottom of their abdomen - as the segment lines underneath are used to make the determination.

 

[Ratmosphere]

The picture was never to find the ***, just to show the actual mantis. Are they ever identified through the crown only? I'll try and get a good picture after, mine just molted. 

 

[Connor]

The picture was never to find the ***, just to show the actual mantis. Are they ever identified through the crown only? I'll try and get a good picture after, mine just molted. 

Beautiful mantis! The experts on here should be able to tell by now I'm sure.