Found a young mantis, looking for refresher course!

[Gretchen]

Hey folks, it's been a while since I've posted.

This evening I was out walking with my neighbor and her dog, when I came upon a mantis in the bushes. Excited, I picked her up. Pretty sure I counted 6 abdominal segments.

So now I'd like to know, what kind of mantis is she and approximately how old is she? She's green in color and I'm in MD, so I'm guessing she's a Carolina? She's just over 2 inches long.

She's a very alert and lively little girl, I hope she sticks around. Like my Chinese I had a couple of years ago, she'll be staying on my porch, if she chooses to stay.

Stink bugs were the mainstay of the diet a couple of years ago, this year there's an abundance of june bugs. Can she eat them or is she too small?

Thanks in advance and it's good to be back!

 

[ScienceGirl]

Not sure about june bugs, I live on the west coast, but flies and grasshoppers are always good staples and tend to be easy to find.

(Guessing) that she's probably at least at L3. Those who've kept this species of mantis can give you a better estimate. Can we get a picture? Are there wingbuds?

Congratulations on your find. It's very cool that you're choosing to let her live freely outside.

 

[Gretchen]

If she hangs around, I will post some pictures, thanks!

 

[MandellaMandy123]

Hey, I remember you! Good luck with your new mantid! If she's over 2 inches, she can probably eat the June bugs. Their shells can be pretty hard though, so maybe catch some flies instead.

 

[ScienceGirl]

Yes, you can try the june bugs, but make sure you have other delicacies that you know she'll be able to eat.

You can mist her once a day if you want to, but she's outside, so she should be fine. Other than giving her food if you choose to, she's living outside, so can meet her own needs.

 

[Rick]

If she has wings and is that small S. carolina for sure. But if it is a nymph we would need a pic. Could be one of four species.

 

[Gretchen]

Been some time since I did the picture bit, let's see if I got this right:

 

[Gretchen]

Look who's in the window in the background... tsk tsk!

Anyway, while I hope she's finding her own food, I am making sure she's hydrated. She's drinking for me.

Thinking about the name Amelia... little joke behind it, as she was walking across my friend's tablet last night, she managed to open her email. I joked we should call her "E-mail-ya".

 

[Gretchen]

 

[ScienceGirl]

Wonderful pictures, lovely logo!

She appears to have growing wing buds, but not wings, so she isn't an adult yet. Maybe pre-sub, or lower?

 

[Gretchen]

Wonderful pictures, lovely logo!

She appears to have growing wing buds, but not wings, so she isn't an adult yet. Maybe pre-sub, or lower?

Thank you ScienceGirl!

I see wing buds too, but really I am not too familiar with the aging jargon. I had an obvious full grown mantis last time, so this baby mantis stuff is all new to me.

 

[gripen]

She is Sub Adult.

 

[MandellaMandy123]

She looks like a subadult tenodera sp. She's very pretty and I like the name Amelia! You should probably bring her inside though if you really want her to stick around. Wild mantids move around a lot. But I've kept M. religiosa on my porch for months at a time, so it might work.

 

[Gretchen]

Tenodera is a Chinese, right?

She looks like a subadult tenodera sp. She's very pretty and I like the name Amelia! You should probably bring her inside though if you really want her to stick around. Wild mantids move around a lot. But I've kept M. religiosa on my porch for months at a time, so it might work.

 

[Gretchen]

I keep her in a lofty place on the windowsill. It's too dangerous inside with my cats. So far, she's happy to hang. I'm happy to have her and hope she continues to stick around.

 

[Jinx]

I agree. Looks like a Tenodera to me.

Really cute, and love the name.

 

[Rick]

Tenodera. If it has orange between the front legs in the "armpits" it is T. angustipennis.

 

[sally]

Give her some honey on a toothpick for a treat

 

[Gretchen]

I'm very sad. I went outside this morning and she was hanging from her lofty spot, but lifeless. I have no clue what happened to her. R.I.P. Amelia .