# Praying Mantis has gone through a change



## Red Eyes (Nov 25, 2003)

Well what has started as a bright green Praying Mantis is now a brown Praying Mantis ...

July 22/07









Aug 10/07


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Is it getting ready to moult maybe?


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## Red Eyes (Nov 25, 2003)

Mettle said:


> Is it getting ready to moult maybe?


I don't think he is getting ready to moult, he had turned this colour after his last moult.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Odd.

Maybe the mantis is hardwired to change in colours as the summer season dies down the fall starts? Or maybe it's just temperature related, but for the same reasons. (We have had cool temps her for over a week now.) It would make sense, as the green would help it blend in with new growth and lots of plants while the brown may be linked to the die off and drying out of leaves and such... Or maybe it migrates to different places in the course of its life - staying moreso in amongst the leaves when younger, fattening up, and goes to lower levels where things tend to be brown - dead leaves, tree trunks, sticks, etc - to end out its life or look for a mate or something to that effect?

I probably could just Google this and get a firm answer. However, I like randomly guessing, haha.


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## Red Eyes (Nov 25, 2003)

Mettle said:


> Odd.
> 
> Maybe the mantis is hardwired to change in colours as the summer season dies down the fall starts? Or maybe it's just temperature related, but for the same reasons. (We have had cool temps her for over a week now.) It would make sense, as the green would help it blend in with new growth and lots of plants while the brown may be linked to the die off and drying out of leaves and such... Or maybe it migrates to different places in the course of its life - staying moreso in amongst the leaves when younger, fattening up, and goes to lower levels where things tend to be brown - dead leaves, tree trunks, sticks, etc - to end out its life or look for a mate or something to that effect?
> 
> I probably could just Google this and get a firm answer. However, I like randomly guessing, haha.


I was thinking along those lines too that it would be a seasonal change (camouflage).


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

chinese mantis die every fall to winter. i remember when i had them they would change colors to a darkish green then breed for me. they don't even live for an yr.


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## blackmaskelong (Aug 18, 2007)

edited*


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