Giant Asian Mantis (nymph)
Hierodula patellifera
15.456, 119.922
Field Notes
Description:
The Giant Asian Mantis (nymph), shown here, is the exact same Mantis which was featured in https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/14...... That was six days ago and I had not noticed that the Mantis had remained on the Red hibiscus, all of that time. Of course, any time that I passed by, the Mantis would probably have remained absolutely still to avoid being noticed. However, this morning, it caught my attention because a light breeze was causing the Mantis (which was now very pale, almost white) to sway, under the leaf to which it had attached its exoskeleton.
Habitat:
This Giant Asian Mantis (nymph) was spotted in our backyard on a Red hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis). This flowering shrub is locally known Gumamela in the Philippines. Plant information: http://www.stuartxchange.org/Gumamela.ht......
Notes:
I missed the start of the moult, but my first 3 photos show part of the process, about half way through, at around10:30 a.m. The last 2 photos, taken at 1:00 p.m. show the Mantis resting, while its new exoskeleton becomes harder and stronger. When small creatures undergo a moult (to allow their bodies to grow), the process can take several hours. During this time, the creature is in grave danger as it does not have the ability to defend itself (or to escape), in the event of a predatory attack.
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