Hagiotata hofmanni

[twolfe]

Very cute story. If I were a mantis in captivity, I'd want to live with you! You should have called her Dora the Explorer. I was going to make the same comment that Sinensispsyched made...reminds me of a prettier and more exotic popa. Cool colors. Does it have a horn on its head? I can't tell from those photos.

 

[Mime454]

Very cute story. If I were a mantis in captivity, I'd want to live with you! You should have called her Dora the Explorer. I was going to make the same comment that Sinensispsyched made...reminds me of a prettier and more exotic popa. Cool colors. Does it have a horn on its head? I can't tell from those photos.

When she texted me a pic I said the same thing. Popa 2.0. I hope that there are some nymphs lingering around in the classifieds soon!

 

[fleurdejoo]

Ok here is the only other picture I have of her. I will take more but she's eating. I'm sure Precarious has some awesome pics of her somewhere here already!

See the little flap on her abdomen? There is another on the other side. So I just thought vestigial wings??

 

[Mime454]

I can't see what you're talking about, but no insect can have more than 4 wings(2 pairs) so it can't be vestigial wings.

 

[twolfe]

I'm not 100% sure what you're talking about either, but I googled this species just now, and the lobe like things protruding from the side of the abdomen are in the photo of this species found on the IG Mantodea List website.

 

[fleurdejoo]

I will call them ruffles then!

 

[twolfe]

Thanks for posting those new photos. The top down view is very helpful. Those lobes (or whatever they are) on the abdomen must be part of this species.

 

[fleurdejoo]

Ugh! Now Michael is makin' me read science!! Ack!

 

[Mime454]

My ghosts has those, but they are so big that they actually make it harder for her to move her back legs! I could be wrong, but I've always imagined these as signals of fitness. It's more dramatic on ghosts, but all these lobes increase surface area, giving predators more to strike at. Seeing an adult female at mating age with these lobes intact shows that she has good enough genes to survive and reproduce even with the handicap. Since males often only get to mate once, they want to choose the best female! In ghosts, the lobes are less pronounced in the male, so that even adds to the hypothesis.

I could be over-applying the principle, but it really makes sense to me. What are your thoughts?

Also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handicap_principle

 

[Precarious]

Does it have a horn on its head? I can't tell from those photos.

No horns but definitely like a cross between Popas and Unicorns. Yen was selling these a long while back. I was unable to breed her because her mate died.

Here she is as a sub...

The things sticking out of the abdomen?

Just part of the camouflage.

 

[Precarious]

Nice pics, Jude. I knew you would be a good mommy.

 

[Mime454]

I went image searching, and I might have found another reason for the lobes. Are they stirrups for the male?

He certainly seems to use them that way. Do ghosts do the same?

 

[fleurdejoo]

Oh that sounds right me Michael.

 

[fleurdejoo]

That is a huge compliment coming from you Tammy!!!

Thanks, if you had to be a captive mantis I would totally keep you!

 

[gripen]

I went image searching, and I might have found another reason for the lobes. Are they stirrups for the male?

He certainly seems to use them that way. Do ghosts do the same?

Yes there are.

 

[hibiscusmile]

My last one just died, laid ooth but none hatch, forgot to ck vacume, 2 got sucked up tonight, will make note to ck tomorrow, who knows, I may get blessed! they are really nice together and she does OWN your bugroom and your scissors! :tt2:

ps, u should of used that pic for the calander, so grand! dont you have another just like it u can use, that pic has color and shows the inside of the arms and the side thingy./??

 

[yen_saw]

Good to see this species Jude!

I went image searching, and I might have found another reason for the lobes. Are they stirrups for the male?

He certainly seems to use them that way. Do ghosts do the same?

Oh i didn't notice it when i took this pic. Good observation!

Nice pic of the head at different angle Henry. Look very different!