Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Found this mantis today. Looks like a immature carolina mantis but it is almost winter so I find this strange. It does have small wing buds. About 1 1/2 inches in length. Mostly green with some dark "red" mixed in. Thanks.

A better picture would help. There is a large population of Carolina mantids at a college near here. Last summer I went walking around the college collecting a group of adults and I did end up finding several young ones that looked very much like the one in your picture. My quess is that depending on how much food the first mantids of the season get......some of them grow and reproduce early. There is just enough warm weather left for the young to emerge and to grow a little bit before winter hits and kills them. It is unfortunate for them. Anyway...that is my theory.

Later,
rahl1972

Looks like a carolina mantis to me. My males had those same colors.

So everyone tends to agree it is a carolina. Interesting though considering the time of year it is still a juvenile. Guess it should live well into the winter.