Eremiaphila

Yes, I did not think so either. I just wanted to show a mantis that was wingless. I could have just google searched wingless mantis and found this but I did not and just found it yesterday.

Mr. Goldfish, the wingless mantis in your link has a very different head shape as well as a shorter, stockier body. I don't believe this mantis is of that Genus.

Wrong I think, not Eremiaphila. Sorry, I was not suggesting Eremiaphia.
I found out about a wingless mantis, yay!

http://www.arkive.org/wingless-mantis/ap...

Thank you for the pictures.

i saw this creature in my native :D nice spotting

i uploaded two more snaps....i hope it will help. thank u for the feedback.
Priya

Pictures of Eremiaphila. Width of abdomen does not change that much.
http://mantisonline.info/index.php?lan=e...

Actually, now that you guys mention it, it is starting to appear more tan than white to me. I also did not know that about mantis nymph abdomens. Very interesting. So we know that this is either a nymph of some species, or a lighter tan mantis with an extremely slender abdomen. If that second option is the case, then that should be very helpful for identifying it.... Sounds like we're getting close!

Also! Priyadarshika, Just so you know, I wasn't trying to say anything bad about you taking just one picture. I love this picture! I was just trying to figure out if I was missing some key detail that Mr. Goldfish saw and I didn't.

Mantises do not really change much in the width of the abdomen when they become adult. Chinese Mantids L1 nymphs do kind of have narrow abdomens compared to an adult female but not really that much of a difference. Male or female I think make more of a difference. Sphodromantis L1 nymphs do have much narrower abdomens than an adult female I think.

Oops. I looked through
http://zsi.gov.in/checklist/mantodea.pdf...
Leptomentella might be similar

Breakfast not Breakfest

And not "not mantises" I mean "no mantises" as if there might be no mantises that are that big

When I look at this photo, all I see is a beautiful mantis and a lovely woman who is happy to show it off. ;-)

I mean much clearer and shinier not whiter

Right after molting they are much whiter. Many mantises have a normal color of this light brown. Mantises are just light in color or clear right after molting but maybe some light colored mantids are close to white right after molting. Cockroaches seem be close to white right after molting. This mantis in the picture is dark and does not show any of the clearness or shiny stuff (as if it was wet). While molting mantises have a puffed up abdomen then after a short time their abdomens get flat. It has a slender abdomen probably because it's species is that way to the extreme. Many mantises as nymphs have wide abdomens.
Some mantises as adults have short wings.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kk721123/91...
Brunneria borealis
Yes, I would say that by it's size that it is in the late instars also because there are not very mantises or maybe not mantises that are that big when at early instar. Archimantis montrosa I have heard were huge and eat Hierodula for breakfest (Not sure if it is true). I do not think there is another genus in India that looks like this so I guessed Mesopteryx. Three species I have found listed and I have found all those three listed in India. I would love it if you could identify this mantis to species. Those three species must look similar.

Priyadarshika, lovely spotting! Do you have any other views of this beautiful creature?

Eric, many Mantids also have brown or tan coloration. Though one image is not ideal, the coloration looks more like a tan Mantid to me rather than a recently moulted individual (my personal opinion). I am not familiar with this species so I am not sure what normal coloration is for it.

I agree, nymphs can be difficult to ID. I believe this is a nymph since it seems to be lacking wings.

@ Mr. Goldfish: No hard feelings, but I'm not sure how you can definitively say that this insect has not recently moulted from looking at a single picture. I was under the impression that Mantids turn a white color after moulting. This one also appears to have a very slender abdomen and thus lacks fully developed wings, which would be indicative of it being a nymph. (Judging by the size, I'd say that it's at a later stage in development)

Sources:
Second to last paragraph of "reproduction and life history"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis

http://www.enature.com/expert/expert_sho...

As far as actually being able to identify it, that would be somewhat difficult without being able to see the coloring of the wings or its body as an adult. However, you may be right about the genus possibly being Mesopteryx. I've never been very good at identifying these particular insects down to species...

Also... fantastic picture Priyadarshika!

Lovely spotting! Welcome to Project Noah, Priyadarshika.

It does not look like it has recently molted. It could have molted maybe several days ago but I am not sure. Maybe Mesopteryx.

That appears to be a recently moulted praying mantis. Although, I couldn't say exactly what species as I'm not a Mantis expert.