File :-(, x, )
PLEASE HALP! wahoo !900eflRYUg
Dear /an/

Please help me find out what kind of mantis this is and what I can do to take care of it or where I can release it so it will be safe. I found it in the parking lot of a grocery store in western Nebraska. It is by far the largest mantis I have ever seen. So large I wonder it it's an escaped pet or something.
>> Anonymous
It's fine. Leave it alone.
>> wahoo !900eflRYUg
     File :-(, x)
>>294841
I wish I could, but when I told my dad he insisted on catching it.
>> Anonymous
Large mantises, believe it or not, do occur in the wild.
>> wahoo !900eflRYUg
     File :-(, x)
>>294844
But this large? In Nebraska?
>> wahoo !900eflRYUg
     File :-(, x)
It's almost three and half inches long. That's more than five times as big as any mantis I've seen locally. More than twice the size of any I've seen in Nebraska
>> Anonymous
>>294847
you've probably only seen praying mantis' while they were young.
>> wahoo !900eflRYUg
Wow, I was unaware. Thankyou. Can you tell what kind of mantis it is?
>> Anonymous
thats a male chinese mantis, i think
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>294956

It's really hard to say, to be honest.

I thought at first it was an Austrailian Mantis, but it's wings are mottled. Here's a pic of an adult male Chinese Mantis. Sometimes also called an Oriental Mantis.
>> Anonymous
>>294959
How can you tell the difference between male and female?
>> Anonymous
>>294982

Color. Females are almost entirely green.
>> Anonymous
>>294986

Let me rephrase that, their back and wings are entirely green.
>> Anonymous
Thanks
>> Verdandii
That is defiantly a Chinese mantis.
They are pretty easy to keep and such, so no worries. Before you actually go get it read this caresheet. http://www.insectstore.com/tenodera.php
If you really want to release it put it somewhere like a field ect, it will do fine there.
Have fun. :)
>> Anonymous
>>294982
In most cases, males have longer wings than females which protrude over the abdomen the abdomen. (many males are active and flying, while females mostly stay at one location for their whole life)

Also, several species can be distinguished by the number of abdominal plates, males have more than females.
>> wahoo !900eflRYUg
Thank you. Shortly after I posted I let it go in the bushes in my back yard. I was hoping it was a female so it might lay an eggsack. Then I'd find dozens of nymphs next year I could use to freak people out. oh well
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Not OP, but I found a mantis too and just took a photo. Is it identifiable? I'm in south western Arizona if that helps.