Sexing Texicorns?

[cloud jaguar]

Is there some obvious way to sex Texas Unicorn mantis? For example I can sex Ghosts because of the shape of the butt and horn easily. We have two Texas Unicorn subadults which both look about the same? How can we tell? - their segments are pretty hard to count too!

 

[AmandaLynn]

Oh, I think the females have different shaped wings or wing buds, and much smaller antenae.

Male wingbuds:

Female wingbuds:

 

[cloud jaguar]

Thanks. One's wing buds are questionable but they both have very small antennae -- probably both girls then

 

[AmandaLynn]

Yeah, they are probably both female. By sub-adult there should be some fairly distinguishable differences between the two, aside from abdominal segments.

 

[PhilinYuma]

These are not only both excellent pix in their own right, Amanda Lynn, but illustrate your point very nicely. I had not noticed the difference in the wing buds, before. Despite the angle at which they are taken, though, they both illustrate the fact that it is possible to count the plates on the ventral surface, which is what I usually do (wearing a head magnifier because I'm half blind! ).

 

[AmandaLynn]

Thanks Phil. The wing shape is pretty obvious on adults, but I don't think I would have noticed it either, if I hadn't taken close up pictures and then looked at them blown up on my computer. That is how I usually count abdominal segments too.