orchid dance

[Johnald Chaffinch]

my orchid mantis had just finished eating a fly and finished cleaning and i sat her on my thumb. she then did a weird kind of martial art looking dance, really slow, looking a bit like the motions those boxer manitds do at each other. does anyone know what purpose this orchid dance has?

 

[Jodokohajjio]

Is she an adult? Maybe she likes you...I know it isn't uncommon for mantids to do a sort of dance when approaching a mate. I thought it was usually the male that did it though...

 

[Johnald Chaffinch]

i'll try and get a video of it. it's like a super slow-motion doggy-paddle from one side and then to the other. it looked controlled and purposeful but i guess it's possible it was just chance movements. it's only a nymph

 

[Samzo]

My orchid does that, so does ghost I think aswell.

EDIT: oh it could be it just wanted to grab hold of your finger or something, all mantis do a weird kinda of depth perception dance thingy...

 

[ibanez_freak]

Hi,

My orchid doesn't do that but my ond c.gemmatus used to. and it used to shake its abdomen aswell, showing fantastic colours between the segments (red and blue).

I'm pretty sure it was for my mantis to try scare me off because if I was to move the slightest when it did this, it would scurry off. Maybe the same as your orchid? I dunno, but if it seems afraid, could very well be something similar.

Cheers, Cameron.

 

[DeShawn]

I used to think it was some sort of mating dance or something too, but now I have noticed many mantid species doing it at all different stages of life (Even L1 !)

Would be nice to know why they do it. It is pretty funny though.

 

[dakota]

do stagmomantis carolina do it?