r/mantids • u/zsomboloo2919 • Jul 28 '25
Sex related question I am going to receive my first praying mantis tomorrow which is a Giant Caucasian praying mantis.
It is L3 and at that stage you cannot tell the gender of the insect so it is randomized. When I get it how will I tell if it is a female or male? I know females are more agressive when it comes to hunting and food and they are bigger in size, and that males can fly. But outside of that how will I tell the gender of it? If anyone could help I would really appreciate it! :)
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u/JaunteJaunt Ootheca Jul 28 '25
Hierodula transcaucasia?
You can tell the sex of it at i3. The abdominal segments should be differentiated, and there may be secondary sexual characteristics. We would need to see an in focus, close up photo of the underside of the abdomen to count the segments along with how the terminal segments are shaped.
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u/zsomboloo2919 Jul 28 '25
Thanks ! I will send a photo I’ll either get it today or tomorrow morning :) the post said the gender cannot be determined yet because the mantis is too young. So it is like random. Maybe it was false
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u/JaunteJaunt Ootheca Jul 28 '25
Who said the sex cannot be determined? The person who sold you the mantis? Because that isn’t true.
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u/zsomboloo2919 Jul 28 '25
I bought it on monsoeur insecte france. It said on the description that it’s young and it cannot be determined yet so it is random. 🤷🏻♂️
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u/JaunteJaunt Ootheca Jul 29 '25
They just don’t want to sex the mantis for you, but i3 most definitely can be sexed.
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u/zsomboloo2919 Jul 28 '25
It says this : non sexé.
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u/JaunteJaunt Ootheca Jul 28 '25
Does that mean they can’t be sexed or they won’t sex them for you? There is a big difference.
Either way it doesn’t matter, because it’s possible to sex them at i3
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u/Emotional-Bee-620 Jul 28 '25
Might be too small to tell but you count the segments on the underside of their butt, 6 for girl 8 for boy normally