Photo of my mantis

[jeepjon]

Hey guys, I know it isn't clear, but I finally got a photo of my mantis! I hope to find a name that fits him, I've got to see his personality, as I've only had him for a week!

 

[serjuanca88]

Very cool. Do you know what kind he is? What the specs of his tank?

 

[givemeabrk]

wow cool .... wishing i had one

 

[Myrphie]

Neogonodactylus wennerae? Looks like mine, at least.

 

[Hwarang]

Also looks like my juvenile female N. wennerae.

This weekend she killed her tankmate, a hitchhiker Emerald Crab i named "Appetizer" ... he thought he could get away with a molting, but she pounced when he was weak. And ate half his face.

 

[jeepjon]

The tank is a 3 gallon eclipse modified with a 10watt 50/50 powercompact bulb and an aquaclear 200. I have about a pound of live rock and many whelk, conch, and cockle shells in the tank for him/her to play in. It seems to be enjoying the home, and is warming up to me a little bit, but is still very shy.

 

[slylie]

where did u get your mantis? looks real nice!

 

[jasonross]

looks good.. how about a tank shot

 

[PSEUDOREEFER]

Hwarang how can you tell if the mantis is a female?

 

[Mantisshrimp248]

just curious how did u modify you eclipse to fit the pc?
I'm trying to find a way to put more corals in my 12g eclipse.

 

[jeepjon]

It was a 3 gallon Eclipse, the little acrylic ones...and yes, I modified it. I took out the old lighitng completely, and retrofit a screw-in type reflector (usually used with an incandescent lamp), and then i put in one of those 10 watt screw in PC replacement lamps. Here's a tank pic with this post.

 

[gwrulzmylife]

I love the shells!

 

[jeepjon]

Hey guys, I've got another picture, and I figured out that he is a spearer! He has got some raptorial appendages with little bulbs that have a spear attached. They almost look like thin, straight scorpion stingers. (the end of the raptorial appendage)

 

[jeepjon]

PS-my mantis loves the shells too! He has his home in one of the whelks.

 

[light7]

Its a basher.slashers have very wicked looking multiple blades (for lack of a better discripton)instead of that single point.Id say its wennerae too.reputed to be a more docile mantis but dont let that fool ya.

 

[jeepjon]

What about a spearer? Or is a spearer not really a mantis? I thought there were spearers, smashers, and slashers. Or are spearers another type of smasher? I was just wondering. Because mine has a sharp spear.

 

[light7]

Thats where the terminology gets confusing.Basher and slasher stay the same and are obvious but I've seen spearer being used to describe both.bashers do have a tip that looks like a spear to me but are considered bashers.I think both types have clubs.Squilla(spelling?) is a good example of a slasher if I remember correctly.Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[jeepjon]

Ok...that makes sense, that smasher's were called spearers sometimes because of the spear point. But really spearers are slashers. So there are two types, slashers and smashers (bashers?) sometimes, the slashers are called spearers, but they still have those big serrated raptorial appendages. Ok, I've got it straight. When both type fold up their raptorial appendages, they will look club like. I think I understand now. Thanks for the info. Anybody here know how to correctly identify a mantis? Is there a dichotomous key anywhere? I know people have said my mantis looks like N. Wennerae, but is that just because that is a kind of generic label, or the most often imported mantis?