The number of stripes on the compound eyes reflects each instar in Acromantis satsumensis (Mantodea: Hymenopodidae).

The praying mantis genus Acromantis is characterized by its compound eyes with stripe patterns in the Japanese Mantodea. In the laboratory, we observed that the 1st instar nymphs of Acromantis satsumensis Matsumura had a single stripe on their compound eyes, and one more stripe appeared on both of their compound eyes when they became 2nd instar nymphs. Likewise, the 3rd instars had 3 stripes, the 4th instars had 4 stripes, and so on. These results suggest that the stripe patterns on the compound eyes increase one by one with each molt in A. satsumensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]