Orchid Mantis ***

MantidKeeper2 · Mar 18, 2017

Hello Everyone,

My wife and I have been fortunate enough to have received an Orchid Mantis that molted recently to L4. Based on an image taken today, we strongly feel the Orchid Mantis is a female, but just want to confirm with others who have more experience (this is our first Orchid...). If you folks would be so kind to take a look at the image and confirm this is in fact a female, I promise to take more photos as she matures and share with you all! Thanks!!!

crabbypatty · Mar 18, 2017

I'm not positive, but it looks male, females have green around their "waists" and males have brown color almost. Yours doesn't have the green.

Ranitomeya · Mar 19, 2017

That is indeed a female--you can see the cleft in the subgenital plate that is only present with females.

Collar color changes over time and is not a good indicator of ***. I've had female orchids keep a brown collar until they were subadult females. The cleft is clearly visible at L3 and if you have great magnification, you can see hints of it in L2--although it is not always clear enough to be sure at that point.