what mantis species is this?

[ISFRAEL]

i found this article on a very weird mantis but ive never seen one of these before?
can anyone id it?

http://users.gravity.net.au/travisn/mantis.htm

[Agilecrux]

to me it seems that its someones idea of a O. scyllarus with spearer arms instead of smasher arms.

[moviegeek]

O. plasticus

[Guy]

Originally posted by moviegeek
O. plasticus

LMAO!!!!

[ISFRAEL]

what can you tell us about this species moviegeek?

[Alex]

OMG you have the rare Mantis of the Genus Molded plastic

LMAO

Alex

[moviegeek]

I can't recommend this species of mantis as it tends to be less active than others in the genus. It is a nocturnal species, leaving its burrow during the night to search for food. Unfortunately it is prone to standing in one spot, motionless, for prolonged periods of time. If you are an extremely patient person who likes flashlights O. plasticus may make a good pet; otherwise look elsewhere.

Nature was a bit unkind in designing this spearer. Although it has the large pronounced spear-shaped raptorial appendages common to the stomatopod family, O. plasticus uses them less effectively than other mantis. The dactyl tips of the raptorial appendages have a tendency to bend when O. plasticus strikes its prey, making the spearer the lame duck of the family. There have been some unconfirmed reports that in colder than normal temperatures the dactyl tips have broken off while the animal attempted to strike its prey.

Combined with its lack of mobility, this makes O. plasticus a difficult animal to care for and specialized feeding is a must. The aquarist must be willing to target feed the animal, which requires some patience.

Do not purchase this animal unless you are sure you can care for it! It is a delicate marine organism with specialized requirements. Many a customer has left the local fish store with a recently purchased O. plasticus excited because of the animal's unique appearance and bright coloration, only to get home and realized he/she was unaware what to do with it.

There are some advantages to keeping O. plasticus. It makes a good tank mate for other marine animals, and there are no reports of the animal killing fish in captivity. O. plasticus ships better than other mantis and can be more affordable to acquire. Lastly, it is the only member of the scyllarus family to be captively propagated with ease. A handful of facilities in southeast Asia are able to ship thousands of units each month.

[ISFRAEL]

you forgot to mention that o. plasticus never needs to molt!