Pilospilota, sphodromantis or anything else ????

[dokken]

Hi,

this mantis has been sold to me as pilospilota aeruginosa

Nevertheless, in another forum, somebody told me that my "buyer" made an error, it could be sphodromantis viridis

But , when I surf on the web, I find this website : http://www.metamorphosis.gb.com/index_files/Page1264.htm

and the polyspilota griffinii is so close to my mantis !!!

well, I like this mantis very much..and would like to name the babies that are in the ootheca in the photo

So, in your opinion, what species is my mantis , please ????

 

[idolomantis]

you can delete P.aeruginosa.

 

[Birdfly]

Sphodromantis species, probably lineola but i cant be totally sure

 

[yeatzee]

thats an awesome mantis

 

[Rick]

I like Sphodromantis but seems nobody here has em anymore. That one has great colors.

 

[The_Asa]

Love'm too. Shame about the die out...

 

[Christian]

The species on the photo is Sphodromantis viridis. The mantids on the featured website are often wrongly identified. Polyspilota griffinii has probably never been in stock, all Polyspilota I've seen so far were P. aeruginosa. And Rhomboderella looks completely different. Despite of this, the mantid shown under that name doesn't resemble yours very much. Well, it's brown, but that's all.

Sphodromantis viridis is easily recognizable by the callous spots on the forecoxae, the shape of the pronotum and the stigma.

 

[Birdfly]

Whats the stigma Christian?

 

[Christian]

The callous spot on the forewing.

 

[Giosan]

Like her color!! Almost black :blink:

 

[Birdfly]

Ok thanks, i have nothing to compare it with but what is it about the forewing spot that is so different from S lineola? Is it the size, shape or position??

I can clearly see a difference on the coxae:

S lineola ?

edit: the reason i ask is because i'd like to get hold of some S viridis myself and would like to know thats what i might get

 

[Christian]

It is larger in viridis. The overall proportions and the shape of the pronotum are also distinctive characters, but they can't be seen well from the position on the photo.

 

[Birdfly]

Ok thanks.

My photo also has no forewing spots either, never mind, im pretty sure i could spot the difference now.

 

[Rob Byatt]

As far as I am aware, this is S. viridis

The distictive 'bell' shape of the pronotum is clear in the first picture.

 

[Birdfly]

cheers Rob, that just completes the picture

edit, The wings appear shorter in the female (compared to lineola) even though her abdomen is fully distended?

I was thinking i'd had these before unidentified, not so sure now??