Non native Liturgusa maya found again Florida. Communal?

[PrayingMantisPets]

Hello everyone. I went out again to observe liturgusa maya in south Florida.

I wanted to learn more about their behavior, what they eat, how they act etc.

Now further observation ive noticed 2 on the same fence post. I believe they are communal. as pictured below. I have seen 3 together too!

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

Ive seen every stage of this species except adults.

 

[Orin]

Very nice. What city is that in? An urban area?

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

Very nice. What city is that in? An urban area?

davie florida. Im so curious about this species. as far as i know no one has been able to successfully captivate them.

 

[Orin]

davie florida. Im so curious about this species. as far as i know no one has been able to successfully captivate them.

Some species are difficult and bark mantids are hard to house. They often climb to lids, hang themselves from the back legs and die.

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

Some species are difficult and bark mantids are hard to house. They often climb to lids, hang themselves from the back legs and die.

funny how you mention that, i have one leaning back on the top of a lid

I have them in a 20 gal fish tank, standing vertically 20 inches. two walls are 100% cork.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Put in lots of rough sticks and see if that helps, such a cute species.

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

Ive found out that large trunks in the enclose do the trick. 2-3in in diameter. they love it. they are communal.

I went with other user on here Ryan, and we noticed numerous nymphs on the same trunk. sometimes seeing 5+ on the same tree. They love going up high too and lay their ooths up to 10ft in trees!

 

[Ruchao]

Hi! I also live in south Florida, and I am studying the camouflage and vision of mantises for my PhD. Can you share me the location? I wish I can capture 5 of them (nymphs or adult) for my experiments

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

After observing liturgusa maya for a year now here are some cool things ive learned.

As of yet there there has been no reported males in Florida. but my search continues for one, i do believe there are males

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

There has been no reported males of liturgusa in Florida since the discovery!

ive gone through hundreds of liturgusa, i have yet to discover a male. in native ranges, central and south America. males are present and are found just as often as females.

Say this species were to mate, the hatch count would be around 20-40 nymphs.
Partho hatches are around 1-5 nymphs.

My collected adult females and ooths in florida of have hatched 30-40. which makes me stongly beieve there are males hidden in small numbers. my recent hatch I may have found a male!

Its too young to tell. it is i4.

but the last too segments are bunched together like males in other mantis species.

Here is a example of a female

Last segment is large and is a female.

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

Here is a large hatch i had a few months ago. making me lean towards this was not a partho hatch.

 

[TheWolven]

While it's a shame we have another invasive species here in the U.S, it's also Florida lol. Still, they are beautiful and I'm looking forward to potentially seeing them more in the hobby here. If I may ask, any luck finding our native G. grisea?

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

While it's a shame we have another invasive species here in the U.S, it's also Florida lol. Still, they are beautiful and I'm looking forward to potentially seeing them more in the hobby here. If I may ask, any luck finding our native G. grisea?

im slowly trickling them into the hobby.

and aslo, i think liturgusa are competing with grisea. im in the city and i believe liturgusa are pushing grisea more into the everglades and up north. But dont ask me i cant find a grisea XD. ive been looking for a year now.

 

[TheWolven]

im slowly trickling them into the hobby.

and aslo, i think liturgusa are competing with grisea. im in the city and i believe liturgusa are pushing grisea more into the everglades and up north. But dont ask me i cant find a grisea XD. ive been looking for a year now.

That could be be it. G. grisea is a very difficult mantis to find in general due to how well they camouflage. Thankfully, they're in the hobby. Rare yes, but not impossible to find.

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

That could be be it. G. grisea is a very difficult mantis to find in general due to how well they camouflage. Thankfully, they're in the hobby. Rare yes, but not impossible to find.

i have been looking alot, same technique with liturgusa (basically wave my hand or hat around to get them to move). I even looking up in trees with binoculars. grisea may be high up in trees. lituirgusa have no height preferece. i see them lay ooths 20-30 ft up in trees.

 

[TheWolven]

i have been looking alot, same technique with liturgusa (basically wave my hand or hat around to get them to move). I even looking up in trees with binoculars. grisea may be high up in trees. lituirgusa have no height preferece. i see them lay ooths 20-30 ft up in trees.

Yeah they do like to be higher up in trees if I recall.