Dr. Roy Caldwell Q & A #3: Sexing O. scyllarus part 1

[moviegeek]

(Originally sent to ScottL by Dr. Roy Caldwell )

Scott,

Generally, male O.s. are much greener than females, but this is not
surefire. The best way to sex them is to look at the genitalia.
Males have a pair of gonopods (penis) hanging down from the inside
base of the last pair of walking legs. The female has a pair of
gonopores on the ventral midline between the first pair of walking
legs. The structures looks sort of like a figure 8. Hope this helps.

Roy

[moviegeek]

(Originally sent to ScottL aka Gilsboy63@aol.com by Dr. Roy Caldwell)

Scott,

Let's try a verbal description one more time. I've attached a line
drawing of a stomatopod. Look at the three pairs of walking legs
labelled periopods. The gonopods are attached to the base of the
inside of the last pair (furthest towards the telson). There is one
on each side, they are about a third the length of the leg, and
usually are dark, Often when they hang down, the tips almost touch
in the center. So, we have a pair of gonopods or penises, each
attached on the inside of the base of the last walking legs. They
are much easier to see than the gonopores and if you don't see them
when you get a good look at the belly of the beast, you probably have
a female.

The gonopores are on the underside of the female on the midline.
Draw a line between the first pair of walking legs and in the center
there is a small figure-eight structure with two holes in it (hence
the figure-8 analogy).

Roy