Tropidomantis Praying Mantis

Tropidomantis tenera Stål, 1860, is a species of praying mantis found in Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Flores, Sumba, Sulawesi, Borneo, and the Philippines. Females reach about 2.5 cm in length, and males are smaller.

About 22 mm in length, this is the adult of a previous nymph spotting - http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/16995862.

Like all mantids, the Tropodimantis tenera is strictly carnivorous. Compared to much larger mantids, such as the Creobater flower mantids which are able to feed on lizards, the Tropidomantis is only able to feed on insects that are smaller than itself. It spends most of its time standing still with its raptorial (forelegs) legs raised and folded, awaiting for a prey to pass by. Once a prey its spotted, it springs out its spiny raptorial legs and grasp them in place. It then proceeds to devour its prey alive. It generally gets all its nutrients from the prey it ingests, including its intake of water.