is this a praying mantis?

[odica]

umm ok so i was looking for bugs to feed my mantis today.well i found a bug under a leaf as i watched it i thought it moved alot like my mantis and looks alike some what too. so it is very very small like it is about the size of my thumb nail. its green and it has 3 legs on each side of its body.it has a abdomen in the back just like my mantis. but where the mouth would be on my mantis this thing has almost like a straw type thing i was thinking maby its cause its very young? also the front legs dont go into the praying stance yet so after playing around with it some i set out to look for more bugs and bang i found another one of the same mantis looking bugs. so i put it in the same small jar and then they started to fight this makes me think it could be just a baby mantis even more can any one help me find out or maby post close up pictures of very young mantis?

 

[Seattle79]

It is not a Praying Mantis. Young Mantids don't have "straw type things" for mouths. Post a pic of this bug if you can.

-Kevin

 

[massaman]

might be a assassin bug or something like that

 

[Rick]

By under a leaf I assume you mean a fallen leaf? If so that combined with the fact it has a straw like mouth I would say it is not a mantis like the others said.

 

[Schloaty]

sounds like maybe an ambush bug? How big is your thumb? These guys are about 1/2 long:

http://z.about.com/d/gocentralamerica/1/0/y/3/-/-/AmbushBug.jpg