Longest mantis?

[yen_saw]

A friend of mine claimed to capture a live mantis of 10-inch long last year. I am waiting for him to find the specimen he collected (yep it is dead), although i have doubt as people always claim to have seen something larger than it actually is, i will wait for this one. But please don't ask me anything more, i will post a pic here if i actually get the specimen.

I pull this one off the topic that been closed, but as my part hasn't done yet i will continue with a new topic. Turn out that the mantis my friend was talking about is about 8 inches, but it was in such a bad shape/condition that he decided to send me another one, it is a WHOPPER!! i took this pic below. It is easily 17 cm if i straighten the abdomen.

This is the longest i have seen so far.

 

[tier]

Hi

This is (Para)toxodera, maybe cornicollis???

But I guess I. gigas is even a little larger, both are not in stock nowhere :-(

regards,

tier

 

[yen_saw]

It would be nice to have a pic of I. gigas showing the actual dimension as i have only seen it mentioned on many website to be the longest mantis but we all know how unreliable internet info can be.

Not sure what species it is exactly, this one here is close to 7 inches, i am sure there are larger specimen for this type of mantis living in the wild in Malaysia.

 

[macro junkie]

with wings like that i bet that thing is a great flyer?

 

[Christian]

Hi.

This species, which is known as Toxodera denticulata (this taxon actually consists of two different species, but the work dealing with these guys hasn't been published yet) is the second largest known to date. I have seen dried specimens of 16 cm. The cerci are not counted. The abdomen is often lengthened a bit and the prothorax flattened by the sellers, so the specimens look somewhat larger. Nevertheless, there are females of one of the two species of 15 to 16 cm (maybe even somewhat larger), what is really large. The male reaches 13,5 cm.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Christian, you have such wonderful knowledge, I love it when you get to talk here!

 

[Christian]

Thanks! Take this, Wikipedia!

 

[yen_saw]

Thanks Christian, bet you love doing it :lol:

MJ, not sure if this female has the ability to fly but looking at her size i think fluttering is the best she could do.