Can anyone ID this mantis?

[weblance]

I caught this mantis a couple of days ago . . . can anyoen ID it?

It's not big, about 2 cm long. Could it be a Echinosquilla guerinii?

 

[Fuegofish777]

that would be my best guess.

 

[Hutton]

lucky!these are supposed to be very hard to find!

 

[Gonodactylus]

Sorry, this request for an ID got past me. The animal shown is an adult Chorisquilla hystrix, a fairly common small stomatopod found in the Western Pacific and Eastern Indian Oceans. I usually collect them from 10 - 30 m from coral rubble. Maximum size is less than 30 mm.

Roy

 

[weblance]

So this mantis doesn't get any larger than this? Do You have any link so I can read more about it?

 

[Gonodactylus]

I have never seen one over 30 mm. There is little published about them except what I told you. I commonly collect them at Lizard Island and we occasionally see them in Indonesia. They do well in aquaria and live for at least four or five years. They are highly secretive and rarely leave their cavity except to dart out for food. I don't know any thing about their mating system, but the females brood eggs for about three weeks.



Roy

 

[weblance]

OK, thanks Roy! Looks like I could have seahorses in the tank after all!