HELP! Stagmomantis Carolina (Carolina Mantis) ootheca purchased online shops are wrong species!

[Moon Mom]

Greetings Everyone,

I've been looking to start a Stagmomantis carolina breeding program. Last year I was able to get some wild caught specimens to mate, and I overwintered the ootheca, but then I got them too wet when I removed them from the attic and they molded. Bummer.

So this year I thought I would jump start the process by buying Stagmomantis Carolina ootheca online from two dealers. I could only find two dealers online for that species. The ootheca I bought were both specifically labeled as Stagmomantis carolina and were brought from breeders and and did not appear to be wild harvested. I hatched hundred of nymphs from each. I have males entering their final molt, and it's becoming clear that they are the wrong species! They are way too big! And their eyeballs don't bug out to the side enough. The ootheca looked a lot the S. carolina species, but a bit bigger, so they are not Chinese mantises. Maybe long wing? Anyone, I caught a wild Stagmomantis Carolina the other day and I'm looking at them side by side and they don't look like the same thing!

I'm uploading pictures; the bigger, longer, greener ones are the ones I hatched this year from the purchased ootheca. The little brown, bug-eyed beauty is the Stagmomantis carolina I was going for.

Here are my questions: Does anyone know where to find a solid identification key for mantises?

Does anyone have any Carolina mantises?

I'm very upset and brainstorming what to do next. Any ideas anyone? I would really appreciate some advice.

Thank you in advance,
Tricia

PS... I'm pretty sure this is what they sold me: Narrow-winged Mantis Tenodera angustipennis

 

[Liquifin]

I would recommend contacting the seller about the species being identified incorrectly and try to get some resolution in that error.

As for mantises, I'm not skilled in that area, but maybe @mantisfan101 and some others on this forums can help in terms of mantises and identifications on the species.

 

[Moon Mom]

I've contacted the first breeder, and I will update this thread with what they say.

 

[MrGhostMantis]

No doubt it’s T. angustipennis. Probably not the sellers fault, they are probably wild collected ooths, Carolina and angustipennis ooths are identical.