mantis id and question

[SharkBait73]

Hi all,

I picked up this tiny mantis from my LFS...he was a hitchhiker on their LR and thankfully they didn't kill him and instead offered him up for adoption...I currently have him in my 20 gallon sump/fuge... I set up a mini rockscape for him and there is about 3/4 of sand on the bottom... he is barely 1 inch..guy in the LFS said he was some type of smasher... I as wondering is it normal for them to go into hiding for a few days in order to get accustomed to their new surroundings? He was out and about on the first day and now I haven't seen or heard him in the last three days.. granted, I am not hawking the tank 24/7, but I thought I would have at least seen the rubble or sand moved around...I am hoping this is somewhat normal behavior..Thanks for any input on this behavior or his ID!!

 

[nmotz]

I would say maybe G. Viridis? It's normal for the mantis to take some time to adapt to his new surroundings. Every individual mantis is different, although some species have more of an inclination for being out and about. Dr. Roy Caldwell, probably the world's leading researcher on stomatopods, says that G. Viridis are active. Just give him some time to adjust. Many creatures undergo a molt soon after being moved into a new aquarium so that is also a possible reason why you haven't seen him.

 

[SharkBait73]

Thx nmotz!! I really hope he is ok... I still haven't seen again... I put about 4 Mysis shrimp in there when I feed the DT and when I check the next day, the shrimp is usually gone...I would like to assume it is him eating it. There is nothing else in the fuge, but amphipods and copepods....I am hoping for the best

 

[Calappidae]

I don't think g. viridis TBH. I want to throw N. wennerae as an ID but to put it plain and simple.. those images aren't enough. Usually the inner part of the dactyls (where the mural spot is) says the speices right there, both wennerae and viridis change color but I don't believe viridis turns a tan whereas deeper collected wennerae can have a redish color. Some gonodactylaceus almost look identical to that from those image angles but odds are as a hitchhiker.. most likely not (plus there is something with their telson which isn't clear enough to see..)

If you can get a frontal view of him we can id a little better. The meral spot on N. wennerae is white with black outlining and the meral on G. viridis is white with red streaks around it.

 

[SharkBait73]

thx calappidae!! i still haven't seen him again though... i am hoping like nmotz said that he is just taking time to adjust to his new surroundings... if i see him again, i will try to get a better picture...

 

[SharkBait73]

Woo-hoo!! I just found him!!! i was changing out my filter sock and low and behold, he was hanging out on the back of it! He must have jumped sides in my fuge...I hope he will be ok because i put him back on the other side where his rock scape is... Maybe now I will be able to get a better picture of him too!