Dr Roy, one of the tiny little mantis that I have just picked up is either a G. glabrous or a G. graphurus. I'll try and get a pic of the carnulae (sp?), as you said that that is pretty much the only way to distinguish them.
Anyways, I fed one a small crab. which was about half the size of him, really... He attacked immediately, repeatedly ambushing the crab from different angles, using the branching LR like some leopard stalking through the jungle. I have observed my P colata stalking like this as well, which is fascinating, but on to my real query.
When he had cornered the crab, he jacknifed his body up, and actually boxed the crab from behind his telson, holding it up like a shield, deflecting the crabs feeble claw pinches. I had read that they sometimes do this when duelling over space, mates, etc...as the telson is the strongest part of their armor. It also looked like he stabbed at the crab with the telson, which I have also read about.
This really blew me away, since I have never seen any of my other mantis do this.
Is this normal for this species? Is it because the food was so large, and presented a threat, as oppossed to a snail, or a ghost shrimp?
Any help would be appreciated.
-Ron
Anyways, I fed one a small crab. which was about half the size of him, really... He attacked immediately, repeatedly ambushing the crab from different angles, using the branching LR like some leopard stalking through the jungle. I have observed my P colata stalking like this as well, which is fascinating, but on to my real query.
When he had cornered the crab, he jacknifed his body up, and actually boxed the crab from behind his telson, holding it up like a shield, deflecting the crabs feeble claw pinches. I had read that they sometimes do this when duelling over space, mates, etc...as the telson is the strongest part of their armor. It also looked like he stabbed at the crab with the telson, which I have also read about.
This really blew me away, since I have never seen any of my other mantis do this.
Is this normal for this species? Is it because the food was so large, and presented a threat, as oppossed to a snail, or a ghost shrimp?
Any help would be appreciated.
-Ron
