Green Chinese?

[MantisAnon]

Hello all.

I just hatched a chinese ootheca. I have done it a couple of years now, and every year so far I have ended up with 1 female. This year I'm going to seperate them at the 3rd or 4th molt so they won't eat each other, and try and end up with 4-6 adults that I can mate. But, all of the ones I have grown before have been the classic chinese mantis brown with a green underwing(?). I've seen a bunch of pictures of green chinese, and was wondering what the chances of getting one is? Is it fairly common? If one from an ootheca is brown, will they all be? Can you tell what color they will end up in their nymph stage? The green ones just look cooler, and I really want to get one.

Also, are europeans generally green? I think I might buy a religiosa ootheca this year, just to get some variety.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Rick]

Green is very common for chinese. In fact, around here where I live most of the ones I find in the wild are green. The brown ones are the minority. An ooth can give rise to green and brown nymphs. The nymphs can often change from brown to green and vice versa throughout their development. Just because you have a green nymph doens't mean it will stay that way.

 

[sporeworld]

Yup! And here in Los Angeles, I'm much more likely to see a blonde European than anything else. Can't say I've ever seen a green female around here. This little lady is much more typical...

On the other hand, nearly ALL the California mantids seem to be bright green. Go figure...

 

[PeterF]

I understood there was a link between humidity of environment and molting to green. Someone please correct that if need be. But if it is true, then maintaining a higher humidity enclosure (mind the mold, maintain ventilation) would cause the mantids to molt into greener forms.

Though, I believe genetics is also involved.

I have around 40 european ooths. If you are interested PM me and I will send you some. I can't promise they came from green parents. But half my females were green, and I tried to mostly use green males for breeding. They have not been through a diapause yet, so you'll get to learn about that too if you have not already.

 

[sporeworld]

What do you plan to do with 40 European ooths...

 

[Ntsees]

Although it could be the same for Chinese mantids, the Europeans (in my experience) I've raised can become green if I make them live (and stay) on a green plant (I keep them outside with no cage). What I mean is that they'll have to spend a full instar stage or more living on the plant and not next to it.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Green is very common for chinese. In fact, around here where I live most of the ones I find in the wild are green. The brown ones are the minority. An ooth can give rise to green and brown nymphs. The nymphs can often change from brown to green and vice versa throughout their development. Just because you have a green nymph doens't mean it will stay that way.

I've had similar experiences with the wild Chinese being mostly green. On the other hand however all my captive raised ones seem to turn out brown. Nature must be doing something different though because I've even had nymphs I released on the poarch start going green as they age, caught them brought them inside, and boom straight back to brown. I always thought it might have something to do with sunlight/humidity/some combo. I should note none of the mantises on the porch were hanging out on anything remotely green.

 

[Jesskb]

around here it's the exact opposite. You get one green one for every ten brown ones. I only found one green adult female the entire summer. I had an adult male go from bright green to kind of a mix of brown on his last molt and he was pretty awesome.

 

[PeterF]

What do you plan to do with 40 European ooths...

They were from wild caught females that I mated. Production was pretty high. +

Some of them will go back where the females came from (two main spots) and some of them will go other places (outside my home, out side the professors, the research farm).

I'mma try to hatch a few. But that isn't actually pressing.

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

They were from wild caught females that I mated. Production was pretty high. +

Some of them will go back where the females came from (two main spots) and some of them will go other places (outside my home, out side the professors, the research farm).

I'mma try to hatch a few. But that isn't actually pressing.

*Cough* *Cough*....you have quite a few ooths, there. Huummm...I wish I had more mantids. *Gives puppy eyes*

 

[Rick]

Male chinese on the other hand are rarely green. They are most often brown or a brown/green mix.

 

[dgerndt]

I have a Chinese nymph (L2) and he looks pretty borwn. I'll do an experiment and up his humidity. Maybe he'll turn green! I want a green one because my last Chinese was brown. She was beautiful all the same, though.