Whoo baby Snatchers!!!!

[thorhack]

Went out on a bug run through my apartment complex and found a baby I was so happy haha. I finally get to see a molt and see one grow here's some pics

Huh?

Lots of Prey moat dead within twenty minutes of catching him haha

 

[Jesskb]

nice find!

 

[LauraMG]

Not a baby anymore! :lol: Nice looking big boy you have there!

 

[Seattle79]

Oh Boy!

 

[Rick]

That's not a baby. That guy is fully grown.

 

[thorhack]

Really? is he not a Chinese then? he's only like two inches

 

[LauraMG]

Really? is he not a Chinese then? he's only like two inches

If he's that small he's probably Stagmomantis sp. although that quality of picture there's no telling which one. Full wings=adult

 

[nickyp0]

nice find

 

[hibiscusmile]

Welcome and nice guy u got!

 

[angelofdeathzz]

yeah, sorry but that one has alreadt been through it final molt.

 

[thorhack]

I was really hoping he'd molt, dang.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

when they have one molt left they have tiny wing buds(small rice or pea size) if no buds then a least 2 more molts. wings over half the abdomen or larger is adult already.

 

[Rick]

Really? is he not a Chinese then? he's only like two inches

No. That is a Stagmomantis carolina male (carolina mantis). If it has wings it is an adult.

 

[mantisboy]

No. That is a Stagmomantis carolina male (carolina mantis). If it has wings it is an adult.

Aw that sucks, you won't get to witness a final molt. I didn't think I would either until my daughter found this little girl on the way home. Still, it's always cool to find a mantid, final molt or not.

Here is a pic of our newest edition Chihiro, she should be going through her final molt in a couple of days. Her appetite has dropped off dramatically and her budwings are becoming more pronounced. Now I have to make a suitable housing in hopes she no problems molting. Any tips? All offers gladly accepted!



DSCF2846 by 67camaro rs ss, on Flickr

 

[Rick]

Aw that sucks, you won't get to witness a final molt. I didn't think I would either until my daughter found this little girl on the way home. Still, it's always cool to find a mantid, final molt or not.

Here is a pic of our newest edition Chihiro, she should be going through her final molt in a couple of days. Her appetite has dropped off dramatically and her budwings are becoming more pronounced. Now I have to make a suitable housing in hopes she no problems molting. Any tips? All offers gladly accepted!



DSCF2846 by 67camaro rs ss, on Flickr

It is odd that she is not an adult yet. Around here when you find a late bloomer like that they almost always are infected with parasites.

 

[MantidLord]

Interesting that you say that Rick. I caught a female Iris oratoria that is at most L5. While I'm finding subadult and adult male and females. I took her in and she molted and is doing fine. You think she may be infected? Because she's definitely behind.

 

[LauraMG]

There's also the phenomenon of the so called "runt" that for some reason cannot keep up when it comes to molting. I've had multiples from the same ootheca and one lags behind. I don't think it's necessarily a full explanation, couldn't been a late hatch or as Rick said an infected mantid, but I think it's interesting to find a nymph this late too! All of my wild caughts are adults now, but one who is yet to be a subadult. Strange phenomenon....

 

[mantisboy]

There's also the phenomenon of the so called "runt" that for some reason cannot keep up when it comes to molting. I've had multiples from the same ootheca and one lags behind. I don't think it's necessarily a full explanation, couldn't been a late hatch or as Rick said an infected mantid, but I think it's interesting to find a nymph this late too! All of my wild caughts are adults now, but one who is yet to be a subadult. Strange phenomenon....

If she infected with parasites, how would I be able to tell? She seems rather healthy, eats well until yesterday when she only ate 1 fly, again today she ate only 1 fly, but I attribute that to the fact that she is probably ready to molt.

She is active or at least certainly appears to be when I handle her and put on the house plants for a daily misting. I was curious too, as to why she was still a sub-adult this late into the season. However, this year has been an extraordinary mild summer for Treasure Valley which is mostly an arid high desert portion of the state.

Is there anything I should be looking for?

 

[LauraMG]

I'll pass that one on to Rick. I know very little about parasitic infections with mantids