Pseudovates arizonae ( arizona unicorn mantis )

[Christian]

Hi.

The horn or crest found on the head is present in almost all Vatini to a more or less extent. Sometimes there are just two teeth, other species have a bilobate horn, which may even vary considerably among specimens.

It should have a cryptic function, at least, that is the primary function of such appendages in other species. The cryptic function may be found in dissolving the typical "insect shape".

Regarding the breeding of those, they seem to be rather complicated. We had Vates weyrauchi for some generations, I had a single female of Vates amazonica which did not lay any ooths, and currently we try to breed Phyllovates tripunctata (a species looking similar to Pseudovates arizonae, but without lobes and with two teeth instead of a horn). I had two fertilized females, which laid several ooths, but just one hatched, producing 13 larvae, of which I managed to grow 12. They are not adult yet, but I fear this may well be the last attempt. There is a good chance that the laid ooths will not hatch, but hey, you never know...

Some collegues had Zoolea gigas some 10 years ago, a breathtaking fabulous species, but, again, managed to raise just one generation.

There seems to be a trick with these fellows which still has to be cracked.

There is also one member of Phyllovates in the US, a rather rare species called Ph. chlorophaea, found in SE Texas.

Regards,

Christian

 

[yen_saw]

There is also one member of Phyllovates in the US, a rather rare species called Ph. chlorophaea, found in SE Texas.

Is the Phyllovates spec. in TX looks similar to the link below?

http://ttwebbase.dyndns.org/mantid/view/206.html

Christian, could you provide me the pic of that species (dead or alive) or the pic of Phyllovates tripunctata. I do not want to miss any chance of finding any mantis species living in Texas, though it is a big state!

 

[Christian]

Hi.

The species on terra-typica IS Phyllovates tripunctata (the name was not actualized yet), at least that's the actual state of knowledge. I was told that the genus is currently under revision. Not the badest idea, indeed...

Ph. chlorophaea looks very similar to Ph. tripunctata, but looks more slender, has a longer horn in the female gender and a comparatively longer pronotum.

It is known from all Central America and reaches Texas at Brownsville.

Regards,

Christian

 

[yen_saw]

Awww... Brownsville is right at the border of Mexico near Laredo... that's way too far unfortunately. Does Ph. chlorophaea live on the hill or grass field?

 

[Christian]

Hi.

There is no info on this available. Compared with other Vatini, it should be an ambush arboreal species. I do not think it lives in the grass.

Regards,

Christian

 

[AFK]

just bumping up my favorite mantis thread. 8)

anyone have any updates of this uber cool mantis?

 

[Rick]

Now that I think about it that horn might have something to do with letting off its body heat.

Insects are cold blooded and don't produce body heat.

i don't think the problem is the heat created within, but rather the heat absorbed from the outside. in ridiculous hot deserts, some beetles i think try to minimize their contact with the sand by standing tip-toe in a certain way. that's how hot the sand is, and that's how overly hot the environment is in that desert. however, arizona is nowhere close to that hot. in that desert, it would be possible for even a cold-blooded creature to have difficulty evolving its body to comfortably thrive on this temperature.

edit: also, cold-blooded doesn't refer to whether an animal creates heat...it only refers to if an animal has the ability to regulate its body temperature.

I know what it is. But warm blooded animals produce their own body heat. Desert animals can withstand the heat of their environment. I have a desert lizard that sits directly under his heat lamp for hours on end with the temps over 140 degrees.

 

[Orin]

Both US Pseudovates and Phyllovates are very rare. I saw a great picture of the Texas Phyllovates posted in the gallery at insecthobbyist a few years ago and I imangine it's still there for anyone who wants to see that sp.

 

[mantisdeperu]

Hi all My friends. Here a link to another Pseudovates specie: Pseudovates peruviana.

http://mantidforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php...ght=pseudovates

Regards.

Christian Fernando

 

[fangsheath]

Hi folks, I was the one who posted the images on pethobbyist some years ago. That individual was my introduction to Phyllovates chlorophaea, a lovely species I am still learning about. At the time I thought it was a female, having never seen a female of this species or a photo of one. Currently I have a female and am hoping to get a mate for her. If not I will try to find some egg masses. This species seems to prefer viney growth with a wispy or curly character. I am hoping to get a captive group of them established.

http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/index.php?p...p;si=fangsheath

 

[yen_saw]

Howdy fangsheath! glad to see another Texan here. Have you kept this species (Phyllovates chlorophaea) for generations or they are all wild caught species. Those are wonderful pics, and the species on the pic is a male?! Please share more pics here if you have and let me know if you ever visit Houston.

 

[fangsheath]

The few I have had thus far have been wild caught. Here are some shots of a female I obtained in late 2003. I want to finally try to start a colony this coming year.

http://home.att.net/~fangsheath/P1010020.JPG

http://home.att.net/~fangsheath/P1010029.JPG

 

[wuwu]

beautiful

 

[fangsheath]

My Phyllovates produced an egg mass this morning. From what little I have read, mantids will produce infertile oothecae, but they tend to be small and deformed-looking. This one looks pretty normal to me. What do you folks think? Do we have ignition here?

http://home.att.net/~fangsheath/P1010023.JPG

 

[Ian]

Wow, congratulations! Do you have any more photos of your actual mantis?

Regarding the ootheca, was the female mated?

 

[fangsheath]

I don't have any other shots of this particular individual yet, but I can rectify that. I received her as an adult, hopefully she had already bred.

 

[Ian]

Was she a wild caught female? If so, I would think the ootheca would be fertile.

 

[Christian]

Hi.

The ooth loolks like a typical, but rather small Phyllovates ooth, so I think you will only know if it was fertile when the young hatch. Think about a possible diapause. I would overwinter the ooth outside, except at very cold days.

Regards,

Christian

 

[fangsheath]

Yep, she is wild caught. Here are some shots of her.

http://home.att.net/~fangsheath/P1010025.JPG

http://home.att.net/~fangsheath/P1010026.JPG

http://home.att.net/~fangsheath/P1010028.JPG

http://home.att.net/~fangsheath/P1010032.JPG

 

[mantisdeperu]

Hello. I attach the contribution of my friend Julio Rivera, Neotropical mantids specialist, about the differences between Pseudovates and Phyllovates.

Thanks Julio.

[SIZE=12pt]Hello there. Yes, Phyllovates and Pseudovates are very [/SIZE]

similar to each other. However, there are several

obvious differences that are easier to pick when you

compare males and females of both genera. Phyllovates

species are usually larger and stouter than those of

Pseudovates. Additionally, Phyllovates doesn’t show

lobes in the middle and hind legs, whereas Pseudovates

has lobed legs but these lobes less numerous and

smaller than those showed by the genus Vates. These

lobes are usually more developed in the females and

that’s is why males of Pseudovates might be confused

with Phyllovates.

I hope this information will help to clarify this

issue

Julio Rivera.

Additional here a Vatinae key for some Vatinae's genus.

CLAVE PARA LA DETERMINACIÓN DE LOS GÉNEROS DE VATINAE HALLADOS EN EL PERÚ

1 . Tubérculos ocelares de los ocelos posteriores proyectados en procesos cónicos o foliáceos, alargados o cortos, pero siempre notorios; patas medias y posteriores presentando lóbulos en número y posición variables ó ausentes........…………………...…….……...................3

1’. Tubérculos ocelares de los ocelos posteriores no proyectados y protuberantes de manera normal; fémures medios y posteriores con un solo lóbulo distal en posición ventral…………………………………………………………..2

2 . Pronotum tuberculado sobre la dilatación supracoxal……….....Heterovates Saussure.

2’. Pronotum liso y sin tubérculos…….........Chopardiella Giglio-Tos.

3 . Patas medias y posteriores sin lóbulos y con las tibias a veces visiblemente curvadas…………………………………………Phyllovates Kirby.

3’. Patas medias y posteriores lobuladas en mayor o menor medida y con las tibias no visiblemente curvadas…………………………………………………4

4 . Fémures anteriores con un lóbulo dorsal triangular preapical; tubérculos ocelares posteriores lanceolados, y alargados…..........Zoolea Serville.

4’. Fémures sin tal lóbulo; tubérculo ocelar de los ocelos posteriores cónicos o triangulares, no muy largos……….……………..……………………………….5

5 . Patas medias y posteriores fuertemente lobuladas; tegminas no presentando un par de manchas oblicuas de color pardo sobre el medio del área discoidal……………..……………...........…....……….....Vates Burmeister

5’. Patas medias y posteriores con lobulación moderada y menos pronunciada; tegminas presentando 2 manchas pardas y oblicuas sobre el área discoidal……………………………....………………….Pseudovates Saussure. (Tomado de Rivera, 2004)

Francisco, please help us with the translation

Regards