Mantis Identified!!!! and for all those other Mantis lovers.... there is another one!

[justinl]

Well, im sure what you have isn't a peacock, but if you do find a peacock are you going to get it? If you do plan on seeking out a peacock, then you might as well get an acrylic tank.

[Ticketyboo]

Damn it Justin, why couldnt you just lie to me and tell me it was a peacock?????? i always wanted one of them ... oh well... as it was donated, i am more than gratefull

So it cant shatter glass right??? are you sure??

Can i feed it live crabs?, the small ones i find under rocks on the beach? i have seen those in videos on you tube, but just wondering if i can do this.

Ok well i have it in my glass 20 gallon at the moment on its own, but would it be compatible in my 180 acrylic tank i wonder? In there are 2 lion fish, 3 eels and my shark.... or maybe just keep it in the tank on its own?

[justinl]

lol a free mantis is a good mantis. especially if it ends up being a G. smithii.

for your current situation i would highly recommend leaving it in the 20gal. it can have a few co habitants after a while (not for now... let it get comfortable) but nothing that might eat it or attempt to. like lions. or eels. or sharks. lol see why the 180 is a bad place for it? also, it very well may get lost in the 180 and you might not see it often if at all.

am i sure about the glass? 100%. like i said only large peacocks (6 inches and up) and G. chiragra (adults over 4 inches) are capable of smashing glass. im pretty sure yours is not a chiragra anyways.

can you feed it shore crabs? sure. collect a few crabs (ten or so) and throw them in a bucket with a bubbler. I think that would keep them alive for a while. Don't feed them to the mantis right away. let them get rid of whatever toxins they might have in them. try to collect from a clean spot. don't add too many in the tank at once as they are not used to hot water. Id only add one at a time. Or you can try to acclimate them to hot water... Im not actually sure how that would go.

[Ticketyboo]

ok so i took a shot of its tail for you J in the thread above.

Incidently... was it a peacock that you got or was it another type from HR?

[justinl]

nope, the one i got from HR was a G. smithii.

hmmm. i can't see what im looking for in the pic of the telson... can you describe the insides of its arms or get a pic? the meral spot in particular. here's a link that very clearly shows where the meral spot is. it's the big circular marking. it's the best trait to ID a mantis. smithii's will be the white ring with dark bentre for example. what's yours like?

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthrop...g_smithii1.jpg

[Ticketyboo]

you want me to get it to pose like that???? are you insane??? you stick your fingers in there and try to get it to strike a pose....its not exactly a kodak moment between us yet... i fed it a shrimp with my feeding stick and it whacked my feeding stick

Ok this is the best i can do just now... does this help?

Its a white circle with a darker green outer!

[justinl]

okay i think i got it. 90% sure it's an N. wennerae. i say this because the smashing arms are pink, it has fine white speckling about the head and it has a white meral spot.

intertidal species so same general requirements as G. smithii. Very active mantis. They will change colour afte one or two molts if you give it different strengths of lighting.

low lighting makes them redish. high lighting makes them green or cream.

[Ticketyboo]

Thanks Justin.....

... but with all this species specific talk, your knowledge, age... experience... active posts on canreef.... big man i think its time to take the plunge and get a girlfriend now

[justinl]

lol, im going into marine biology, it's my job to know this crap! lol that's my story and im sticking to it. girlfriend... hmmm. you see, the problem with that is that i need to find a girl that won't get sick of me talking about my tank all the time... which isn't easy. *shrug* it'll happen when it happens. Im in no rush.

[Ticketyboo]

AHA!!! so its identified as a G. Smithii!!!!!!

And its doing magic... eating like a horse!!!!

And for all those other Mantis Lover out there.... i know where there is another identical one same size (3 inch) for sale locally here also!!!!!