Singapore ID please

[MantidLord]

Hi all,

Long time no hear. So I've spent a couple of months so far in Singapore and I love it! I've been doing some collecting (got a permit ) and have come across some amazing creatures. However, I'll cut to the chase and show you the (crappy) pics I've taken of some mantids and hope that you can help me ID them.

First off is this guy/girl which tragically died not long after it was caught.

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/2013-11-05151431.jpg





I'm thinking it's Euchomenella sp, however if anyone could confirm that would be great. I say that because of the markings within the arms and...comparing to google :blush:

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/5a5d6308b13d38eb65e6f11418ae68b7.jpg



http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/2013-11-03151732.jpg



This one is some sort of boxer mantis. The top photo (not my picture but taken from a buddy who caught one of his own) is an older instar than the dead nymph. You can see it's mostly black with some white specs. These guys love to box and they're not able to climb the sides of plastic or glass

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/2013-10-25214005.jpg



http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/2013-10-25214029.jpg



This is another boxer species I found. Side note about the pictures though. It's misleading. The specimen is a lot more redish-orange than what's on the screen. It just molted a couple of days ago however it's got some flying food with it. So once the food goes down, I'll try and take another picture if needed. It appears to me an ant mimic (or rather it is an ant mimic) as I caught it walking along the ground like an ant. It boxes a lot and unlike the above boxer, it's able to climb plastic and glass.

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/2013-09-13120904.jpg



http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/2013-09-13121025.jpg



Okay I'm showing this guy next because I'm not ruling out the possibility that he could be the same species as the above boxer. The coloration was a little bit similar (he's more orange than on the picture) and he was a boxer who was able to climb plastic as well (great identifying characteristics <_< ). I caught him randomly as he was found in the dorm so I have no idea about his natural habitat/behavior.

 

[MantidLord]

Part 2

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/2013-11-02131501.jpg

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/2013-10-25170215.jpg

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/2013-10-19180201.jpg

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/2013-10-19180151.jpg

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/2013-10-08225802.jpg

All of these specimens are (I believe/hope) the same species. I know they are Hierodula, however I have no idea what species. The only Hierodula species with a reliable characteristic that I could find that's also found in Singapore is Hierodula patellifera (Picture below) however these guys don't have the characteristic white spike on the arms.





This photo of H. patellifera was taken at the Siam Insect Zoo at Thailand. I had a great time, there were a bunch of different insects/arthropods, a breathtaking butterfly garden and of course mantids. They had a great number of species too! Several Deroplatys sp, Rhombodera as well as some others that I didn't recognize. Of course I tried to see if I could buy some (no shame), especially considering they had a bunch of ooths as well as some hatchlings. However no dice.

 

[MantidLord]

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/2013-09-24111221.jpg

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/2013-09-24111155.jpg

Some bulky Rhombodera female at the Insect Zoo









Finally, an unknown (and unhappy) Rhombodera male featuring one of the Hierodula pre-subs (estimated by comparing to other instar sizes). This guy was found by the elevator at night going crazy flying around. Again, I have no idea what species this one is either.

I hope you enjoyed! I'll try and take better pics next time/live pics as well as hopefully hunt down some more mantids Any help in IDing these critters is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[MantidLord]

OOPS! How I could I forget. The lovable and abundant, Tropidomantis tenera.







Was able to get a couple of ooths from some females I found. These things are the most abundant mantis in my brief experience in Singapore. I find the nymphs and adults via sweep netting in both the grasses and in the trees. Also, they are really aggressive and fast acting. I drop a food in their container and they chase after it and grab it before the thing can even move! makes it easy to hand feed though since they don't scare too easily.

 

[massaman]

well if anything hatches from them ooths put me on the list for some of the offspring if any are available!

 

[guapoalto049]

Great pics man! Finding mantids in a foreign country is always exciting.

Your Rhombodera specimens seem to be basalis, the shield shape and coloration are consistent with the species (rather than R. stalii).

Good luck in the future, hope you keep finding some great mantids!

 

[bobericc]

Exciting! Hope you enjoyed your trip!

 

[MantidLord]

Thanks for the ID Guapoalto, I'll post more pics on here when I catch more.

I'm still in Singapore until May so hopefully I'll find other species as well. I won't be selling any, especially not from Singapore, that seems like a good way to get fined or caned.

 

[Dracus]

This one is some sort of boxer mantis.

This is probably Gonypeta sp. As for the others, aside from Hierodula and Rhombodera, clear pictures are needed...

 

[MantidLord]

Hey Dracus, thanks for that. That quote was in reference to the dead one and the specimen next to the blue bottle cap, is that the one you're talking about?

And noooo problem. Clearer pictures will be come like...now (went collecting in another location today

First off, here's the mantis I mentioned that was reddish and it molted. Decided to take it out since it ate most of its food.





Here is an older boxer mantis I caught today. I think this is the same species as the black and white one above (the dead one and the blue cap one)



Here's something...Idk what it is. It doesn't "box", found her on the forest floor.

 

[Dracus]

Hey Dracus, thanks for that. That quote was in reference to the dead one and the specimen next to the blue bottle cap, is that the one you're talking about?

Yep. And the last two is Gonypeta too (or, at least, a very close genus), just different sexes I think.

The first one in the last post may be nymph of some Amantis...

Still, with the pictures so out of focus it's like reading the tea leaves. No offense.

The very first one is definitely Euchomenella though.

 

[MantidLord]

Haha none taken. I'm using an iphone so I know my pics are far from the best.

I looked up Amantis, and these guys look very similar to the ones I've found. An adult that flew right into a buddy's insect net looked exactly like the adult amantis on this website

http://orionmystery.blogspot.sg/2012/03/mantis.html

The nymphs look like this (not my pic)

https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6197/6132199190_e07610f0c4.jpg

Here's a picture of a female I caught the other night. I think she may be an Amantis as well (after looking at a blog of Singaporean insects, there are obviously multiple Amantis sp here), she laid an ooth for me today.





EDIT: Actually, I believe this female may be the Gonypeta sp. She has the similar eye color and patterning as the three I've already posted.

Also, one of my Tropidomantis ooths hatched, not even gonna try to take a picture of these little guys (I seriously need a camera). But they seem pretty lively

 

[Dracus]

This is Amantis for sure.

 

[MantidLord]

This is Amantis for sure.

Yeah I'm gonna have to agree with you. I caught another female today that's for sure Amantis and is simply a lighter color than that mantis in the last post.

I'm thinking the three pictures before my last post (the ones on my arm) are Gonypeta.