Instar explanation?

[SneakyPsycho]

I don't quite understand how you tell what stage of development a mantis is currently in. I know how to tell the difference between an immature mantis and an adult, but how do you tell between the different instars? Is it from just keeping the mantis for its entire life and counting how many times it's shed? I browsed the different forums a little but couldn't find anything conclusive. Thank you!

 

[Norlin]

Yep, you just have to keep count. In some species you can tell if they're first instar, pre-subadult, subadult, adult or somewhere in between by looking at them, it's the somewhere in between that is usually impossible to differentiate.

 

[hibiscusmile]

1st instar is hatching, second instar is first molt, third instar is second molt and so forth.

 

[Crazy4mantis]

some species have more instars than others, and females have one of two more then males (that is part of the reason why they are bigger). starting at pre-presub (3 molts to adult) they will most likely have tiny wingbuds (small structures that grow into wings).