Hello, hello, hello! What's going on here?

It's been five days since I discovered the first tiny mantid on the Hydrangea bush and today when looking over the microcosm, I notice some changes. Firstly, the jumping spider is sitting next to the webby retreat where there is another, probably  female, hiding beneath. I had noticed this spider in its retreat the other day and wondered if it was the female but hadn't seen any connection between it and the male helpis except that he seemed to stay in the general area. I don't know much about salticidae behaviour but it has me wondering if she is guarding an egg sac and he is protecting her. Well, a little searching on Google has revealed a New Zealand website - TERRAIN that says that this spider, commonly known as the Australian Bronze Jumping Spider (Helpis Minitabunda), does just that! He stays by the nest while the female is inside it! Actually, he ran behind the leaf one time today when he thought I was too close with my camera but I am sure he would defend against other intertebrate invaders!

Male Bronze Jumping Spider guarding female in nest.

I couldn't find the mantids at all at first and got distracted by a hover fly I was going to photograph but it took off, however it led my eyes to another little mantid living on a low branch of the Cumquat tree. Surely with all these little mantids around, a few have to survive to adult! This one looks a slightly different colour to any of the others I found. It has quite a pinkish hue though is similar in size to the light brown one on the Hydrangea, both are bigger than the dark brown one. I am not sure if it is just a first instar nymph and they are second, or they are totally different species. Time will tell no doubt.

Pinkish mantid on Cumquat Tree

The other interesting change is that the light brown nymph appears to be turning green! I have seen this phenomenon with stick insects where the first instar nymph is one colour but changes to another although it is usually at the last moult. For example the Eurycnema goliath is brown right up to its last moult and then it emerges from its skin a beautiful green and yellow! Quite amazing! The smallest dark brown mantid could well be an instar behind. It really is tiny as you can see by the photo of it on the Hydrangea florets. It knows where to hunt though; flying insects are going to check out that flower even if it is not fully mature.

Light brown-greenish mantid nypmph on Hydrangea.

Dark brown mantid nymph on Hydrangea florets.