egyptian mantis question

[robo mantis]

my egyptian mantis femae moulted to adult but she was so small i didn't know she is adult. yesterday i was by her cage and then i saw a little wing. i've seen small mantids but this girl is about an inch long!!! is this normal i'm going to chech the male today.

 

[Rick]

Yes. They are very small. Males may be slightly longer but they are very petite and fragile. I have had success keeping them all together as adults but they males will constantly be mating with the females.

 

[Jay]

Yes-

I have found that the Egyptian vary pretty greatly in size. I have found the same thing with the Isis O. species. I found two females that I thought were different species because of the incredible difference in size even though everything else was exactly the same between the two.

 

[robo mantis]

thanks guys it looks like i got a subadult male about to moult

 

[yen_saw]

my egyptian mantis femae moulted to adult but she was so small i didn't know she is adult. yesterday i was by her cage and then i saw a little wing

Female egyptian mantis should have wing cover almost her entire body, could it be that she is still subadult?

 

[robo mantis]

no they cover her whole body i'm still waiting for the male to shed to adult