Mantis ID

[VAreefer]

I purchased some Florida/Gulf live rock and received a hitch hiker, that I have discovered is a mantis, it is only around 2 inches in length and likes crushing rock while making tunnels. I never get a long enough look to get a picture but it is greenish brown with oval eyes. Any ideas on species and risk of leaving it in my display?

 

[sdm]

Possibly N.wennerae, N.brendini (I think that's the name), or an N.curacoensis (sp?).

 

[ReneX]

Species guess sounds right. As for risk in a display, they'll happily take out small mobile invertebrates...in other words, your cleanup crew. Small hermit crabs, barnacles, shrimp, clams, snails, bristle worms and possibly feather dusters. If you opt to keep fish, it is a risk to them insofar as a frightened mantis may strike out to defend itself and may seriously injure fish, although the one you have probably isn't interested in eating them.

If you -do- decide to get rid of it, depending on where in VA you live, I'm very interested in driving over to pick it up. I've been looking for a small mantis for a species tank for a while. I live in Williamsburg.

 

[VAreefer]

I would love to get rid of it , however it will not fall for any trap I have put in tank, tried all kinds of baits but it just looks at trap and goes back in rocks, I think it must be living on pods and maybe BW because my hermits are not vanising and it has been in tank for 6 months. If you have any suggestions on trapping then please let me know and if succesful it's yours, I do not wish to take rock work out just to catch it since it has not bothered any of my fish or crabs and this would disturb all my corals since the rocks it hangs in are my base rocks.

 

[VAreefer]

Renex I live outside of Ashland