Manny the moody mantis ( ID please?? )

[Devilbabi]

ok, well updates for you all.

Manny is still not eating, I got him 8 days ago, and he has shed once in that period of time, and he has never eaten a thing since I had him. Does somebody know what type he is please? So i can refine my google searching?!?

Right now he has a cricket in his cup with him, its warm and moist but he just isn't eating, Here's some more pics for you all

Any ideas, maybe the cricket is too big for him to tackle?? Could he be scared or something, He just sits up the top of his cup and dances, that's about it. He goes for a run around often,maybe im over reacting!!

To see him better i had to make the pic darker.

Does anyone know what type of mantis he is???

SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO IT looking straight at it.

Thanks all, Manda

 

[sporeworld]

I'll let the pros do the ID thing, but the cricket is (probably) too big. Aim low. Half the length, or a quarter the bulk. At L2(?) fruit flies or house flies seem to make more sense...

 

[Devilbabi]

OMG! OK> he just ate!!

I fed him a fly and he ate it straight away. So im assuming its a he, because he didnt like the cricket, and he hangs from the roof all the time and he flies.

IM SO HAPPY FOR MY LITTLE MANNY!!

 

[sporeworld]

Yeah, Manny! Boo, Cricket!

 

[hibiscusmile]

Poor little guy, feed him all flies he can eat for now, no cricks, if they don't see them when learning what is not to be afraid of, he will not attack that big cricket. give him water too.

 

[GreenOasis]

He kinda' looks like my sheild nymphs, but it would help to know where you got him to be better able to ID the species. Is he wild-caught, and if so, where from?

Yes, that cricket was WAY too big! Hydeis would be a much better choice at that age.

-Carey Kurtz-

 

[Ntsees]

You can feed him crickets, but it's probably going to have to be newly-hatched ones (pinheads).

 

[Devilbabi]

He kinda' looks like my sheild nymphs, but it would help to know where you got him to be better able to ID the species. Is he wild-caught, and if so, where from?

Thanks CArey!

I took that cricket out

He's gone now, he's been eating fruit flies the last two days. He loves them!! ALot.

Um , well he is Wild Caught, and I'm in Sydney Australia.

Does that help?

How can I tell if he's a boy or a girl yet?

Cheers! Your all so helpful!!

Manda

 

[sporeworld]

I don't know what it is exactly, but I found a very similar one the last time I visited Sydney. Curious to see what the pros here think it is...

 

[tier]

Hi

The shape of the anterior part of the pronotum reminds me very much of Orthodera sp., I know some time ago there was the species Orthodera novaezealandidae in stock, also in USA. It was coming from Australia as far as I remember. I think Marius Pohl was distributing them. As you are from Australia and the genus seems to be commen there, I am almost sure it is Orthodera sp..

regards

Here is a link that google provides when you search for this genus:

http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ozanimals.com/image/albums/australia/Insect/IMGP8374-edit.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Garden-Mantis/Orthodera/ministralis.html&usg=__BLm3yqJjYALxbqxf03ryQX_3YVo=&h=543&w=800&sz=217&hl=de&start=9&zoom=1&itbs=1&tbnid=eX1ZrOCo6CspUM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3DOrthodera%26hl%3Dde%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

regards

 

[Devilbabi]

Hi

The shape of the anterior part of the pronotum reminds me very much of Orthodera sp., I know some time ago there was the species Orthodera novaezealandidae in stock, also in USA. It was coming from Australia as far as I remember. I think Marius Pohl was distributing them. As you are from Australia and the genus seems to be commen there, I am almost sure it is Orthodera sp..

regards

Here is a link that google provides when you search for this genus:

http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ozanimals.com/image/albums/australia/Insect/IMGP8374-edit.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Garden-Mantis/Orthodera/ministralis.html&usg=__BLm3yqJjYALxbqxf03ryQX_3YVo=&h=543&w=800&sz=217&hl=de&start=9&zoom=1&itbs=1&tbnid=eX1ZrOCo6CspUM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3DOrthodera%26hl%3Dde%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

regards

Thanks so much for that Tier. I think your right!!

Im going to spend some time looking into this.

Thanks again