Does anyone know anything about Acromantis gestri??

[TheBeesKnees]

Alternatively, Acromantis formosana?? Not sure which this is--being in thailand, I'd like to think it's a thai boxer hehe. Google searches come up pretty anemic on the behavior, care, diet, etc for these little dudes... Here's the one I found:

I found her in a flower bed while I was inventorying the local Odontomantis sp. that have recently hatched there.
At a glance (as you can see), she looks very healthy--frequently grooms herself, alert, hangs upside down no problem... BUT when she walks, she suddenly looks like she's a million years old. She has a very clumsy wobble, and when navigating my hand, she tends to topple over very easily (but has no such problem when [very slooowly] navigating her terrarium). It's the kind of locomotive behavior you'd expect from an insect that's too cold!
Her wing buds are not at all swollen, I don't think she has enough junk in the trunk to suggest she's ready to undergo a molt... Otherwise, I'd totally pin it on that.

Anyways, hopefully she's just fine, I'd love to raise her into adulthood if I can! Does anyone know of any acro-specific resources??

Cheers!

 

[Crazy4mantis]

the walk is probably for camouflage.

I don't know anything about its care sorry.

 

[soundspawn]

Formosana basic care is 78-86 F (~25-30 C), 60% humidity (+/- 10)

No real special needs. Flies, moths, crickets are all suitable food. They like to get really flat to the "ground" if spooked, and prefer twigs and leaves to blend in with. I believe you can *** with segment method beginning at L5 (male 8, female 6) but I'm not positive about that. With adults the length of wings and underwings can determine *** pretty easily.

What more would you like to know?

*EDIT* Also, based on the front femurs I don't think that's a formosana... mine has huge femurs. It may vary more than I think it does though

 

[dmina]

What ever it is, it's cute!

I know... I am no help at all!

 

[TheBeesKnees]

@soundspawn: Thanks!! Can you tell me what their molting behavior is like? I literally can not get this one to eat, I've tried everything outside of force feeding it, and it doesn't seem at all keen on moving around (though she will if she has to and is quite sluggish about it). Just by looking at her, it doesn't look like she's ready for a molt (thin wingbuds, and, as far as I can tell, a relatively flat abdomen)! Can you tell from the photos if she appears ready for a molt? She's got some good strength in her, preferring to hang upside down at the moment. I'm beginning to think more and more that she is prepping for a molt, but normally in subadults, there are some aesthetic markers that give this away, which I'm not quite seeing in this girl (or I am mis-interpreting?). Normally is so easy to tell >:U but I'm getting conflicting signals on this one. So...don't know if sick, or molting...

 

[jsorigami]

It looks like he (I think I counted 8) is ready to molt. Judging by his abdomen and his refusing of food, I'd say so. I could be wrong though.

 

[TheBeesKnees]

Ah, the back side of her abdomen is only five segments long, which I always assumed was more reliable than counting the front segments :>

She's a pretty small species, it's hard to tell without some zoomin' in on that badonk.
She remains completely disinterested in food this evening, and so I'll leave her be for a day or two and see how she looks. It's hard not to fuss over her like a nervous hen, though! She's the first Acromantis I've found, I'd really like her to do well! * n* <3

 

[Crazy4mantis]

The abdomen actually looks fairly bloated he or she may be molting. I'm leaning toward she.

 

[Mantis Man13]

From the picture I see it has six segments, not five! Look halfway between the 5 mark you made and you will see it is actually two segments.

 

[soundspawn]

From the picture I see it has six segments, not five! Look halfway between the 5 mark you made and you will see it is actually two segments.

I'm not seeing the two segments there, but I am seeing what would be segment 0 (between 1 and the hind legs) I think that's a segment that needs counted. Again I'm terrible at this method so I may be off, but I'd say female - 6 segments.

 

[TheBeesKnees]

GOOD NEWS, she's eating! I'm not sure why she wasn't, before--but as I type this, she's finishing off the lone katydid nymph I had left in her terrarium for her (her terrarium is so large relative to her that one small katydid was unlikely to give her trouble if she did decide to molt). Phew, I am so relieved!

EDIT: ah, yes--she's actively hunting now, and her weak looking slow walk has changed into a proper gait you'd expect from a healthy mantis.
My guess is that there was something a little off about her, health wise. I had given her a bit of honey and lots of water when I first brought her home, so perhaps that helped her out (either the hydration, or the antibacterial nature of the honey--or both, who knows). She's a pretty voracious girl now! Quite the little predator

 

[dmina]

So good news all around!

 

[TheBeesKnees]

Now I'm just confused, I was processing photos earlier today, and noticed two additional segments near the top, on the underside of his abdomen:

Do you see them, too?
@jsorigami I may owe you a drink for incorrectly refuting your observations!

This mantis refuses to be restrained by the confines of gender rolls!

 

[dmina]

I guess... it wants to keep you guessing... hehe

 

[TheBeesKnees]

I have found another of the same species! A very beeeautiful one!

This one is very different from the first one; very zippy, super energetic. It gives me all the more reason to believe the first one I posted about here is/was very sick when I found it. It's eating well now, and even appears properly ready for a molt (it's wingbuds rightly look like little sausages, now!)--but it never did regain full control of its legs, and is very clumsy/prone to falling. I worry that this might spell bad news for it's inevitable molt, but my fingers are crossed that it'll go without incident.

This one, on the other hand, is nothing but grace and pep! Jumping is no problem (the first one can't jump, it tries to and does a little face-plant instead), and as any good little nymph should, it loves to run up my arm at mach 1 speeds.
Also, check out the amazing coloration on it! A beautiful specimen, indeed! If the first one survives, it'd be a streak of luck if this new one ends up being the opposite gender! I'd love to mate them, if I could.

 

[dmina]

Awww it sounds like the first one is getting the best help ever..

The second one is very cute!



Thanks for the update...

 

[TheBeesKnees]

Ooh finally, and update!!
Unfortunately, Mali, the dark red mantis, failed to molt. (s)he had a lack of control over her legs since the day I found her, and even when she was brought up to a point with her health where she could hunt and eat on her own, she still walked strangely, and when she tried to jump, she would just fall over instead.
I believe having no strength/control over her legs was the cause of her mismolt. When I found her, it appeared as though her raptorials made it out of her molt (how, I have no idea, but the entire top half of her shed skin was shredded up pretty good), while her legs remained 100% inside the molt--as if she hadn't even tried to pull them out. 16 mantises into the hobby now, and that was my first ever experience with a mismolt... I was kind of expecting it but I'm still glad I wasn't around to watch it happen.
RIP, Mali. We gave it out best shot.

In happier news, Sohm, the lighter colored one, molted last night, successfully!!

I *think* it's a she. About an inch in length... I had her out for a good while, and while she was very keen on exploring, refused to fly. The most "flying" she did was to glide from my hand, down to my knee, which was just a few inches below it. It was more like an enthusiastic hop, really. She looks totally capable of flying though... Just not very interested in giving it an honest try.

Anyways, still not sure on the gender. I think I could seven abdominal segments there; sometimes it looks like six, but no matter how I try, I can't find an eighth one. So *SHRUG* if it starts calling, I guess we'll know for sure.

 

[Extrememantid]

That's female.. There is a segment before the "first one", so six segments. And sorry to hear she didn't make it