Small praying mantis?

[bandel4]

Hi everyone!

I spotted this beautiful tiny creature during a caving trip in Pahang, Malaysia a couple of months back.
I apologize for the dodgy camera work, its the best I can do.
It really is no bigger than an adult's thumb nail (when it is crouching).

I have not a clue whether it is a praying mantis or other type of insect. Am hoping one of us can help me identify what it is.

Grateful for any help.

 

[BOD]

It looks like a mantid clearly from the first two photos. Rather short body.

Whether it is a true troglobyte mantid will depend on its eyes.

Its antennae is not that long like the cave crickets.

It could have been a new species!!

 

[Bravo4]

I think it is a young mantis nymph. Malaysian Dead Leaf Mantis, Deroplatys lobata, maybe . I found a couple of pics on Flickr, I believe are D.lobata nymphs:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/benbeiske/3635358427/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/invertsfromhell/2539018834/
Similar features; before the "dead leaf" look of the adult phase; just a guess

 

[stevesteve]

It's a lovely little creature. I would say yes it's a mantis from the head shape and the overall body form including those distinctive front legs.

I had a browse around and Wiki says "The insect Order Mantodea consists of approximately 2,000 species"!

Cheers,
Steve

 

[dwardo]

No idea sorry, but i do know i want one for a pet

In every picture he has a kind of "come on if you think yer hard enough" look about him

 

[bandel4]

Hi dwardo...my thoughts exactly. I used a small twig to try to get the little fella to spread it's arms and it was in no way intimidated with it. It came chargin!

Dead leaf mantis? I will look that up. Thanks Bravo4

Bod...it its a news species, we should get BCUKs to name it !