fyeahmantodea

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Mantis blog signals its return to tumblr.

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I have been away...

But now I am back! Normal blogging service will resume shortly, thank you for your patience.

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Brown Praying Mantis

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Photo by Alicia Fox

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If you're located in the US, this is most likely a Tenodera sinensis (Chinese mantis) 

Hiya followers, if anybody was wondering about my home life, here’s a bit of info. I have a pet preying mantis. Sadly, I don’t know his genus or species (it’d be cool if someone could help identify.) But I named him Rochambeau. He’s at least two weeks old and he loves butterflies. Anyways, just thought I’d share something I really like.

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Found this lady when I got home! I just love them, they’re so beautiful. The detail on her abdomen is amazing—like feathers almost.

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It is not too early to sex them! I believe your ghost mantis is a male. It's very easy to tell by looking at the "crown/hat" in this species. As for the Indian flower, it's a little more difficult to tell from the front, based on the antennae I'm leaning towards male as well, but if you upload a clear image of the back of their abdomen I can attempt to be a little more accurate for you. Hope this was helpful!

Update on my babies! My Ghost Mantis might be close to it’s last molt, and I guess because I keep his habitat humid, with his latest molt he went a little green :) super excited to see what happens to him! The Indian Flower Mantis has become a little aggressive, and almost too fast and jumpy for me to even take out of it’s habitat… nevertheless he’s turning pretty colors and getting big and plump :)

Anyone wanna help me figure out the gender of these guys/name them? Or is it still too early to sex them?

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Dramatic lens flare posing! I think nillia wins the mantis-naming contest with “SCYTHERRRRR!”

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Some kind of Rhombodera sp. maybe.

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African mantis

Sphodromantis viridis

Israel

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Hello sweetheart.

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Mantis

Look at this cute li’l guy hanging out on my hedges! LOOK!

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Semi-pressing question: is it likely that a mantis would overeat so much that it could damage its internal organs or die? I left my indian flower mantis in the care of my mom for one day and she must have given it like ten blue bottle flies because its abdomen looks like it's going to pop.

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply to this! I've forgotten to check my inbox for ages. This might be too late to be of any use to you, but I'll answer anyway - I've never heard of such an occurrence, I have heard of mantises eating until they vomit, and of injuries sustained from being extremely full and falling or otherwise being hit, but never from just eating. They're damn greedy but not quite to that extent.

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Empusa pennata / empuse

Bois de Païolive, Ardèche, France

Juillet 2014

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Siwa post molt :”)