Dramatic Start to life

Not really a question, but a thought rather. I love how certain mantids evolved! I understand why, but I’m curious how an orchid mantis evolved so aggressively that their L1 color completely disappears by L2. 

I haven’t raised a wide range of mantids from L1 nymphs, but I’ve never seen any as dramatic as the orchid mantis. Just fascinating. Are there any other mantids that have such a dramatic transformation from their L1 to L2 molts? 

They didn't evolve, the Great God, Elohim created them. (In Isaiah 40:26 

[SIZE=0.95em]Lift up your eyes on high [/SIZE]And see who has created these stars,

The One who leads forth their host by number,

He calls them all by name;

Because of the greatness of His might and the

strength of His power Not one of them is missing.

The ghost is black and after 1st molt becomes brown. Some of the other Are born red but change after molting and the Flower mantis is sparkly black when hatched and becomes different after molt. 

minomantis said:

Not really a question, but a thought rather. I love how certain mantids evolved! I understand why, but I’m curious how an orchid mantis evolved so aggressively that their L1 color completely disappears by L2. 

I haven’t raised a wide range of mantids from L1 nymphs, but I’ve never seen any as dramatic as the orchid mantis. Just fascinating. Are there any other mantids that have such a dramatic transformation from their L1 to L2 molts? 

Click to expand...

in the Lepidoptera, the regulation of a small set of genes have a dramatic impact on the coloration

there must be a selective advantage to having ant mimicry at i1 and then to lose it so early. perhaps they grow large enough to need their aggressive mimicry at i2 and getting big enough food as an ant mimic would be difficult. remember, both sexes start out the same size and males just have fewer molts

the other thing to keep in mind is not everything evolves out of need. perhaps the regulation shut off in an early ancestor and it wasn't detrimental enough to stop that population from reproducing

and to Rebecca, sorry to say but evolution is the most evidentiarily supported theory in science. literally it has more support than gravity, cell theory, and the germ theory of disease