Determining the sex of a praying mantis
In these examples I am using The Giant Asian Mantis (Hierodula Membranacea) but this can apply to most mantids.
I will start with nymphs (non adult mantids). Counting segments is the best indicator of gender. You count the abdominal segments from the bottom. Females have six and males have more. In females the last segment is large. As they near adulthood there can be other differences like the width of the abdomen and the size of the mantis itself but new people to the hobby may not notice these other differences at first.
As far as adult mantids are concerned, experienced mantis keeper should be able to tell on most species at a glance what the gender is. With most mantids the females are more robust in size while the male is more petite. The actual reproductive organs also look very different with the males ending in an upturned cup shape and the females a kind of point. It is important to mention that in some adult mantid species there are other differences between the sexes. For example, with the orchid mantis the males are about an inch long while the females are a medium sized mantis. There can also be differences in shape of various body parts on certain mantids.
Male Nymph: notice the many segments, last segment is small.
Female Nymph: notice six segments with last one being large.
Adult Female: notice width and how abdomen ends in point.
Adult Male: notice long thin abdomen ending in "cup."
Adult Male:
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orchid mantis evolutionary research
The orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) transitions from black-and-red to pink-white coloration during development, a shift driven by the Redboy pigment transporter. This transition serves different ecological functions: red coloration helps hatchlings mimic stink bugs for predator avoidance, while the pink-white coloration of older nymphs provides floral camouflage for both predator avoidance and prey attraction. The Redboy transporter, upregulated by ecdysone, facilitates this shift by exporting red pigments in early stages and importing white pigments in later stages.
Evolutionary Basis:
Redboy's Role:
The Redboy transporter, a novel ABCG transporter, arose by gene family expansion and positive selection, specifically to handle the transition from red to white coloration, according to research on Nature.
Hormonal Regulation:
The hormone ecdysone regulates Redboy, ensuring the pigment transition happens at the appropriate developmental stage, according to research on ResearchGate.
Genetic Adaptation:
The evolutionary changes in Redboy have allowed orchid mantises to adapt their body color to different life stages and ecological niches.
Ecological Functions:
Aposematic Mimicry (Hatchlings):
The initial black-and-red coloration serves as a warning signal, mimicking the appearance of stink bugs, which are known to be distasteful or toxic to predators.
Camouflage (Older Nymphs):
The pink-white coloration provides floral camouflage, helping the mantis blend in with flowers and avoid detection by predators.
Prey Attraction:
The flower-like appearance also attracts unsuspecting prey, such as small insects, to their location, enhancing the mantis's hunting success.
In summary, the orchid mantis's body color transition is a fascinating example of ontogenetic camouflage and adaptive evolution, where the color changes throughout the mantis's life serve distinct ecological roles in where the color changes throughout the mantis's life serve distinct ecological roles in predator avoidance and prey attraction.
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