Orchid mantis sub adult or sub-sub adult?

[PIaf94]

Kinda lost count of the molts .........but I'm pretty sure it's either L6 or L7.

View attachment 4656

View attachment 4657

 

[sally]

The purple is so pretty

 

[mantiseater]

I think its sub

 

[Extrememantid]

You need to show us pics of the wing buds, but from what I can see it looks sub-adult

 

[gripen]

Pre-sub or L6. Not sub.

 

[iLUVdraguhns]

Not sub. Sub adult has to have a black dot on top of its abdomen. For sure, pre sub or pre pre sub.

 

[PIaf94]

This is the best quality I can put at the moment. :/

 

[Extrememantid]

Idk what you guys are talking about, that looks sub adult

 

[gripen]

Idk what you guys are talking about, that looks sub adult

It is not. Look at some pictures online. Their wing buds get huge.

 

[GhostYeahX]

It's pre-sub.

 

[Termite48]

I am pretty sure you have an L-7 with those wing buds the way they are.

 

[PIaf94]

I hope so Rich. As I've got a male whose definitely sub

Adult

 

[gripen]

By the way, L8 is sub for females.

 

[PIaf94]

I am almost positive it is at L7 or pre-sub



Shame as my male is just about to molt into a

Mature soon.

Any idea if he'll live long enough to breed?

 

[GhostYeahX]

Keep him in cool environment, you can feed a house fly even once a week for him, that's what I do for my male. I had them hatching from the same ooth. And I was able to differentiate their *** at L2 by using macro lens, my female molted to L7 last week and my males are still L4/L5

 

[PIaf94]

I have since he was a 2nd instar. I took a wild guess. Luckily

I was correct haha. The thing is I've done the same with another male who recently passed

Away before he could become mature

So I may have over done it. The good news is I just checked my female who is just now

Molting into...(and I'm almost %1000 positive) a sub adult?

 

[GhostYeahX]

great!

 

[Lou]

She's a beauty!