Found a new wild mantis last night, not sure what species...

[Butterfly]

So I was helping out on a student film at Cal State Northridge last night and happend to look up at the light because something flying had caught my eye. Imagine my surprise when I notice there are 2 Mantids looking down at us from about 7\8 feet up on the wall. I rushed back inside and grabbed a broom because I may be tall but Im not that tall. I managed to get the smaler one down and caught, and man was he a flighty little stinker. He managed to freak most of the students working on the film except for maybe 2. With help I finally wrangled him out of my hair and into a small box.

But now I need to know what to feed him and what kind he is. I will try and upload some pics tonight or tomorrow but I wonder if anyone can tell me just by his dsscription.

It was very little (compared to my HUGE Mantis Religiosa) and green with bulging red eyes (this morning the eyes seemed black but Ill look again). The wings were longer than the abdomen, and he seemed scared of the cricket I tried to feed him. Do I go get some fruit flies for him or would they be too small?

Any help is much appreciated as I dont want him to starve and will release him tomorrow if I cant figure out what he'll eat.

Thanks again!

 

[wuwu]

it's definitely a male. males are usually pretty jumpy so try feeding him something smaller, like a housefly or similar flies. his eyes were black because mantids change their eye color to black to see better at night.

 

[Jesse]

Most likely it is a male of one of the following three species

Iris oratoria

Stagmomantis limbata

Stagmomantis californicus

 

[Rick]

I agree with Jesse. Must be a male if it was flying. Doubt the eyes were red but they do turn black at night. A pic would be very helpful.

 

[Greg Richards]

Ha! ... a living mantid in southern cali?! ... Wasnt it cold over there in northridge last week? ... I was beginning to lose hope and accepting that its too cold for them to live in the wild this time of the season.

 

[Butterfly]

There were a few in fact. Its been super warm here actually, kinda cold at night but mother nature still thinks its summertime over here. But now that I said that it's probably going to get cold out lol.

 

[Butterfly]

OK so he musn't have been that scared of the cricket I put in with him afterall. I gave him a few sticks to hang on and what not and when I got home yesterday the cricket was gone.

Either he learned how to wiggle out a hole the size of a pinprick or the new little green guy finally ate him. Im hoping it was the latter so I dont have to get him different food than the other Mantid. .

So this means I dont have to release him, yaaay I have a new pet. lol

 

[Rick]

Any pics yet?

 

[Butterfly]

no sorry. I just moved so everything but the bugs and my bed are still in boxes. I found the camera last night and the charger this morning so Ill take some pics tonight and upload them to my site and paste a link in here for all to see my new little flighty guy.

Then maybe we can figure out what he is.

 

[joossa]

Hey! I am a student at Cal-State Northridge!!! I don't live on campus, I live 40 minutes away.

Where I live I have seen many Iris oratoria. Currently I am raising a female (started to lay her ooths) and a male. I am trying to get them to mate.

Post some pictures so we can identify your mantid!

 

[Butterfly]

OK I took pictures last night but the computer is still packed away. Well actually the cables are. Ill try and upolad it tonight from my roomates computer.

I was giving it a true Vegas style buffet last night to find out if and what it would eat. He got a moth, a cricket, a small black bug, and a very small moth like thing. It was completely ignoring everything and finally I tapped the bottom to make the bug move, it flew and the Mantid got it. So, Im not so worried about it starving now.

Its but is as long as its wings, and has the 2 same little feeler type things on its end so Im assuming its a female. The back armor like portion of it has a brown outline kind of.

this probably isnt any help so Ill just upload the darn pics tonight.

Thanks for all the input so far though guys!

 

[Jesse]

The feeler things at the end of its abdomen are called cerci, and both males and females have them.

 

[Butterfly]

ahh ok, well then Im not so sure what it is!

LOL now you know why my first European Mantis ended up getting named Thor, I thought it was a boy.

 

[Rick]

Sexing of adults is VERY easy and I am surprised anyone has trouble with it.

 

[Butterfly]

Still havent gotten the computer desk moved to the new house so I havent been able to upload pics.

The mantis does have a small red dot on his stomach / body. (Im not sure of the technical names for them still) I think it is an Iris as Jesse suggested before.

He wont eat the very small crickets I bought him so Im going to get big ones tonight for him and the other 2. Hopefully Ill be able to load the pics by this weekend.