Sexing a stomatopod

[Gonodactylus]

The easiest way to sex a stomatopod is to look for the pair of penises (gonopods) that extend down from the inside base of the last pair of walking legs. I and others have posted several pictures of this, but they are particularly clear in this Lysiosquillina lisa. Here they are fully erect. In this species, the gonopods are brown. In many species they are clear, but usually are still visible.

The gonopods form in most juvenile stomatopods only a few molts after the postlarvae settle, so they can be used to sex relatively small individuals. This is not true of the gonopores in females that may not form until several molts later. For example, Neogonodactylus wennerae settle at 8 mm total length and the gonopods can be seen as buds at 11 mm. The gonopores in females do not form until around 18 mm.

Roy

 

[acrodave]

nice pic thanks clearing up the subject

 

[MantisO_o]

interesting.

 

[gharner]

thank you sooo much for posting this Dr. Roy!! ive looked everywhere to find out how to sex a mantis and everyone said that it was already mentioned somewhere else....and i could never find it haha. i think this should be stickied so its easy to find.

 

[unbrandedbutter]

so how can I get my mantis to show me his/her underside? I have a rainbow mantis (Pseudosquilla ciliata), and it's always hiding in a sand burrow looking at me.

 

[acrodave]

dinner and slow music