Mantis laying around

[Jacob D]

Does your mantis lay around sideways or upside down very often? So far both mantis' that I have had do this. It's kinda funny to see them curled up on their side or upside down between a rock and the substrate. I believe both of mine are G. chiragra's.

 

[Gonodactylus]

Gonodactylids don't have gravity receptors and orient using a dorsal light response. You can see this if you put a stomatopod in a clear glass container and shine a light from below. It will turn over on its back. In dark cavities, they don't usually orient in any particular way unless they are looking out of the entrence in which case they assume a normal dorsal up posture. Otherwise, they often curl up on their side or even lay on their back - whatever works.

Roy

 

[Jacob D]

Thanks Roy, another interesting tid bit.

BTW, is this telson shot clear enough for a possible ID?
http://www.cvreefers.org/gallery2.php?g2_view=core:ShowItem&g2_itemId=10768


It would be nice if we could get some pics together and start an ID thread since it comes up a lot, just thinking out loud...

 

[Gonodactylus]

The color pattern is a bit different than usual, but it could be G. chiragra. One of the diagnostic key characters is the ocular scales and they almost never show up in a photo.

Roy

 

[Jacob D]

Ocular, as in head/eyes? I do have a head shot, but it isn't the greatest:
http://cvreefers.org/gallery2.php?g...2_GALLERYSID=3da06a3c9b99dad5bde938eb002e38bd

One more picture for kicks:
http://cvreefers.org/gallery2.php?g...2_GALLERYSID=3da06a3c9b99dad5bde938eb002e38bd


To my untrained eye it looks very similar to my previous mantis, which you confirmed was G. chriagra, it even moves and behaves the same.

 

[Gonodactylus]

O. K., I am going to assume that this animal is from the Indo-Pacific and that it is under 2.5 inches long. If so, it probably is Gonodactylellus viridis. I have seen that color pattern in G. v. and the reddish edge to the meral spot is also consistent with this species. For a long time G. v. and Gonodactylus chiragra were thought to be the same species, but it turned out that from collections that we made in Phuket in the early 70's, the two were definitely different.

Roy

 

[Jacob D]

Thanks again. I'm not sure of the location, Indo is probably safe to assume given the petstore it came from. It is about 2.5" long.

At least I 'm in the ballpark. The one thing I have noticed different about this one from the G. c. is it doesn't pack as audible a punch. My G. c. made some loud pops, this is more like a little click. Anyway I enjoy watching her cruise around the rocks in the tank and smash small snails.