Chinese Mantis nymphs - Tenodera sinensis

Update: September 20th, 2004

As the summer waned down, I saw fewer and fewer adults. I did find one on our front porch half-eaten, and this recently molted adult female in our backyard:

I'm hoping there was mating between the released mantids, and that I see some new nymphs this coming spring...

… Tony DiTerlizzi, 8 January, 2005 - 4:51pm

Update: August 31st, 2004

I've seen fewer mantids in the yard now than I did earlier in the summer. My guess is they've either died, they're hiding, or their hunting range is expanding, thus forcing them to move on.

I have, however seen both a male and a female within the last week, so hopes are high that they will mate and lay more eggs. It looks like they are both one molt away from adulthod:

… Tony DiTerlizzi, 31 August, 2004 - 4:56pm

Update: July 24th

Found what I believe to be a male with wing buds in the yard today. I am guessing this is a male due to the fact that it is green, (most pics of females that I have seen are brown - and there are brown individuals also present in my yard).

Looks like he's a molt or two away from adulthood:

… Tony DiTerlizzi, 24 July, 2004 - 11:49am

sexing mantids

in order to tell the sex of the mantid body color isnt useful atleast with the chinese mantids, if you look at the last segment of the abdomen the females have only one pair of apendages where as the males have two pairs... the same goes for cockroaches. the males apendages are both cerci and styli where as the females only have cerci :) hope that helps next time you are sexing mantids... if you want to collect egg cases or otheca you could collect up a male and female and leave them together for a day or so (make sure they are well fed before you put them together) and then release the male... the female will eventually produce an Otheca if she is kept well fed.. then you can cold store it for the winter :)

… Joshua , 23 August, 2006 - 5:40pm

Update: July 14th

Came back from a trip to Florida and found quite a few mantids in our backyard. No doubt they've molted a few times since they were released.

… Tony DiTerlizzi, 24 July, 2004 - 11:43am

Keep updating..!!

This is interesting Tony,
do you still see the mantids in your yard??

Charles

… Charles Weber, 19 April, 2005 - 10:10pm

Moved...

Hey Charles,

We moved this spring, and I had not seen any prior to us leaving (I will most definitley try it again next spring in our new yard though). My guess is it may take several hatchings to get them firmly established in an area...

… Tony DiTerlizzi, 27 July, 2005 - 6:24am

Hey Tony, That is probably t

Hey Tony,
That is probably true, but the funny thing about this year in south florida, I have not seen one mantid or any grasshoppers this entire year..?? I have no clue why?? usually our parks are teaming with them, but they are M.I.A. this year... any clue why??

Charles

… Charles Weber, 27 July, 2005 - 6:51am