Hi all,
I recently managed to acquire a mantis from a fellow UK board member who's tank he was decimating.
Since I got him (using masculine form until I find out otherwise) home on Friday I've been desperately trying to identify him but it's proving rather more difficult than I'd hoped. Quite what I'd have done before Dr Caldwell posted his list I don't know!
He's light green, slightly speckled with white and about an inch and a half long. Currently he's holed up in a burrow in a piece of live rock which he spends much of his time excavating and blocking up the entrances to.
He hasn't left his burrow yet but otherwise seems quite sociable. He spends most of the time sticking his head out and is quite willing to attack the feeding stick and its cargo.
My tentative guess at species was G. Viridis or G. Falcatus. I haven't been able to get a shot of its rear to look for the indicative black spots of G.Falcatus.
My photography skills are somewhat limited at the best of times but trying to get a shot of a small, fast secretive green animal against a green background is resulting in a lot of blurred shots.
Here are my best efforts:
Is there any chance someone with a little more experience give me a best guess? I'll post some better pics if I can get some!
Many thanks in advance,
Ed
P.S. Does anyoen know why there the Generic names Gonodactylaceus/Gonodactylellus/Gonodactylus are so similar and yet subtley different? Are they different genera with a high degree of similarity?
I recently managed to acquire a mantis from a fellow UK board member who's tank he was decimating.
Since I got him (using masculine form until I find out otherwise) home on Friday I've been desperately trying to identify him but it's proving rather more difficult than I'd hoped. Quite what I'd have done before Dr Caldwell posted his list I don't know!
He's light green, slightly speckled with white and about an inch and a half long. Currently he's holed up in a burrow in a piece of live rock which he spends much of his time excavating and blocking up the entrances to.
He hasn't left his burrow yet but otherwise seems quite sociable. He spends most of the time sticking his head out and is quite willing to attack the feeding stick and its cargo.
My tentative guess at species was G. Viridis or G. Falcatus. I haven't been able to get a shot of its rear to look for the indicative black spots of G.Falcatus.
My photography skills are somewhat limited at the best of times but trying to get a shot of a small, fast secretive green animal against a green background is resulting in a lot of blurred shots.
Here are my best efforts:
Is there any chance someone with a little more experience give me a best guess? I'll post some better pics if I can get some!
Many thanks in advance,
Ed
P.S. Does anyoen know why there the Generic names Gonodactylaceus/Gonodactylellus/Gonodactylus are so similar and yet subtley different? Are they different genera with a high degree of similarity?
