What Influences Colour?

[SkittishMale]

I have seen many different colours of Mantis religiosa, both in the wild and in captivity. They vary in colour from greens to different shades of brown. I noticed that in many other species, the colour can vary. I am wondering what determines the colour that they will be or turn to. I have heard that factors that influence the colour of a mantis include lighting, temperature, humidity and the dominant color in the mantid's surroundings. I know that the colour can only change after a molt but I am wondering which of the factors truly play a major role in what colour the mantis will be.

The latest generation of M. religiosa I produced turned out to ALL be brown. Not a single green one. They were kept at room temperature, the lighting was decent I would think. I had a lamp with fluorescent lighting over them to give them some additional light in addition to the room lights and the furnishing in the enclosure consisted of a single stick and some green artificial foliage. The humidity had been kept high enough for the nymphs to successfully molt.

Does anyone know why my mantids all turned out brown? and what husbandry changes I should make for the next generation in the future to get me some green ones.

 

[TheBeesKnees]

Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I think the mantis will take on the most dominant color of their environment. If your enclosures have some green foliage, but the colors surrounding the enclosure are predominantly darker and desaturated (assuming the enclosure has see-through glass or plexiglas etc walls) then the mantis might develop a color that will better help them to camouflage with that surrounding. So perhaps try and make sure that green is the dominant color, not just in the enclosure, but around it as well.

I'm not sure if this will solve your coloration woes, but it may be worth a try if no wiser suggestions are provided <3

 

[Extrememantid]

It depends on many things.. It can be purely random, it can also depend on humidity levels, it can occasionally have to do with background but I've heard that is unlikely. I think humidity is a big factor. But with mantis religiosa I'm pretty sure it's random

 

[Orin]

I'd vote for humidity in the majority of green vs. brown shifts.

 

[Rick]

I argue that it is likely much more complicated than just humidity. I suspect there is an environmental and genetic component to the different phenotypes we see. I have never seen a study on mantis color but looking at this in other insects may provide an answer. I know color and color patterns can be plastic in some insects like certain species of grasshopper where density has effects on color.

 

[I_love_mantids]

It's probably humidity.

 

[Ntsees]

...the dominant color in the mantid's surroundings....

I don't keep mantids in terrariums with fake plants so I can't comment on their color change indoors. But outdoors, I favor that the color depends on the mantid's surroundings.

If you want a green religiosa, make it stay/rest on a green shrub outside (no brown branches). It'll become green through successive molts. The hard part might be trying to make it stay. And make sure that it's spring and summer when you're doing it (no mantis does well in the cold).