Variable sizing of same mantid's - differing colours

[Mintmantis]

Sorry for the lame title, I wasn't exactly sure how to word it.

For every 10 miomantis caffra I find outside, 1 tends to be pale a pale brown female. They are always larger than the green females.

I wondered if anyone else noticed mantid's who have a variety when it comes to colour, also notice size differences?

I tried to upload pictures, but my phone gave me an error. I have found a brown miomantis and she's much bigger all over than all the green girls I've had in the last year. She's longer, her limbs are thicker and longer etc.

 

[River Dane]

Some people believe a mantid’s colors are genetic, so it is very possible that if this is true, it’s a new strain of miomantis. Personally, I’ve seen no variation in size between my white limbatas and green limbatas from last year, but the white ones died before maturity, and they were wild caught, so they might not have been in the same instars. This could make for an interesting study. 

 

[Mintmantis]

Thanks for your input! 

It could be so - if it is of any note, I'm in New Zealand and they are an introduced species here. Since the late 1970's if I recall correctly.

I have never had a fertile ooth, I have at least 10 on my living room curtains but nothing ever comes of them. Plenty of dead males though.