What L?
- Thread starter pavloff
- Start date
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MantisGirl13
Well-known member
I think you mean Instar or larval stage. If it is imago then it will have visible wings that can move. If If is still a nymph, then it will have no wings and be smaller. What species is this and can we see a pic?
- MantisGirl13
- MantisGirl13
Pre-sub and sub adults are kinda easy to tell, but those could vary from species to even individual what what instar it is. If the wing buds just molted into resembling a small version of imago wings then it is a pre-sub adult (2 more molts till imago), they generally overlap less. If the front wing bud reaches the middle part of the second wing bud then it is a sub adult (1 more molt till adult).
I'm still kinda practicing how to distinguish if they are pre sub or sub adult though.
I'm still kinda practicing how to distinguish if they are pre sub or sub adult though.
hysteresis
Well-known member
Male and female have different number of instars.
I agree some species have different numbers of instars depending on if they are male or female. Also sometimes mantises will skip a molt going right to adult from an earlier instar, I had that happen once with a Carolina male. He had 2 molts to go until adult but he skipped the last one, and went right to adult with wings that were shorter then normal. He was also small.
Size can also help approximate what instar it is, though it might vary depending on species and such. Such that in my mantises, a Chinese mantis that is 25-30mm about is a L4 instar.
Size can also help approximate what instar it is, though it might vary depending on species and such. Such that in my mantises, a Chinese mantis that is 25-30mm about is a L4 instar.
hysteresis
Well-known member
Some species have more instars. Rhombo, guineensis, hierodula have what, 9 molts? What about Deroplatys sp. 8 molts?
