P. paradoxa - instar identification

[Mantida]

Can anyone help me with these two's instars please? I think they are pre-subsubadult, but I'm not 100% sure if that's right or if they are even on the same instar.

Male:

Female:

Both on the same instar?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Andrew]

One or two more molts, methinks.

 

[darkspeed]

I believe they get wing buds at sub sub adult. If they just got them then thats where they are, if you havent been keeping up with it it could be sub adult, as the two instars look almost the same.

 

[Andrew]

If they just molted, then I'd probably go with subadult also.

 

[Mantida]

@Darkspeed, I posted a question about wingbuds a long time ago, and Rick said that wingbuds were present on mantids the minute they hatched from the oothecae, they are just too tiny to see. He also said it's just that at subadult when the wingbuds become very, very apparent.

The male just molted recently, the female has been at this stage for a while now. Trying to figure out who I should speed up and slow down at the moment!

Anyone else got any ideas?

 

[Mantida]

I just looked on mantisonline for a picture of a subadult phyllocrania. It seems like my male may be at subadult, but I am not sure about my female since the website didn't show a female subadult paradoxa's wingbuds in clear view.

Need advice from the experts!

 

[Tunedbeat]

So, does color determine the sex with this specie?

 

[Andrew]

The male just molted recently, the female has been at this stage for a while now. Trying to figure out who I should speed up and slow down at the moment!

I'ma conclude that the male is now a subadult, and the female is a subsub.

@Tunedbeat - No.

 

[Morpheus uk]

The males 100% sub adult, and the females at the very least pre sub adult

 

[macro junkie]

looks like mine..my male it brown and my female is green..and both are 1 shed away//would u agree they take forever to shed?seems they been sub for ages

 

[Rob Byatt]

They are both subadult.

 

[Kruszakus]

Rob is 100% right - these are both sub-adults - trust me, I have some sub-adults right now and they look the same as yours.

 

[macro junkie]

Rob is 100% right - these are both sub-adults - trust me, I have some sub-adults right now and they look the same as yours.

mine to.//we all have subs :lol:

 

[Mantida]

Thanks everyone, what perfect timing! Now to wait out the molt to adult.

 

[Morpheus uk]

I was 50 % right :angry:

Btw must say im not sure ive ever seen such a beautifully colours ghost mantis!

 

[obregon562]

Yep look the same as my subs!

By the way the female has the most gorgeous green on a ghost i have ever seen! Amazing!

 

[Kruszakus]

Yeah - about the timing - you may be surprised, they may be sub-adult for a couple of weeks, or a couple of months - so you just never know.

One of my females was really green as well, but after the final moult her wings turned brown - but it still looks cool.

 

[albedoa]

When did the female begin to show her color?

 

[Mantida]

Thanks everyone for the comments on my greenie!

When did the female begin to show her color?

She began to green around L3 I think, perhaps L4. By L5 she was about that color in the pic.