Mantis ID

[Baylorguy]

Hi everyone - I got some shots of a mantis last year and wanted to see what type it is. I actually had 3 hang out around my Sarracenia for a few weeks. One was green and the other two were this dark brown. They are so cool! What do you think?

 

[SirKristoff]

Looks like a Carolina Mantis (Stagmomantis carolina) to me...
nice little guy
and wait, your sarrs are already pitchering?
so not fair...

 

[Baylorguy]

I wish! This is from last fall Mine are starting to send up flowers though.

 

[richs]

It's a male, that's for sure! Around fall here in Calif. they come around the pitchers to feed and mate - they're long and skinny like that.

 

[Baylorguy]

Rich, that is exactly when this guy and the other two were hanging out... it was in September and they hung out for a few weeks and then were gone. I am thinking about having a pet mantis or two... this forum is starting to get me interested in them!

 

[swords]

Males generally have skinny abdomens (tail), long antennae and fully functioning wings, females generally have fat abdomens, short antennae and can't fly as well cos they're heavier and are usually bigger than the males overall. In the case of my Violin mantids the black & green male is only about half the size of the female, both were hatched at the same time and eat the same foods (the male doesn't eat as greedily as the female though).

Get some mantids next spring they're awesome! Join Mantidforum.net to read up before jumping in and also find cool folks to buy critters from.