My Current Mantids

[MandellaMandy123]

Hi everyone! I thought I'd share some photos of the mantids I currently own. They're all wild caught

Here's Ailbhe (pronounced ALL-vah), my female Iris oratoria:

Here's Caitriona (pronounced Kuh-TREE-uh-na), another female Iris oratoria:

Here's Moira, another Iris oratoria, hiding:

Here's Little Guy, a male Iris oratoria (I couldn't think of a good name for him ):

Here's Deirdre, a female Stagmomantis limbata:

And here's Ailise (pronounced AY-leesha), a female Mantis Religiosa.

Yes, it's true - I only have six mantids. That's a rarity for me, and it's kind of nice

~Wolfie

 

[lancaster1313]

Beautiful mantids! I can't see the photo of Caitriona.

I like the irish names!

 

[Mvalenz]

beautiful mantids.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Nice! little guy Iris looks like a "Jasper" to me...

 

[MandellaMandy123]

Beautiful mantids! I can't see the photo of Caitriona.

I like the irish names!

I fixed it so you can see the photo now Thanks - I love Irish names. I had an Aoife, and a Fiona, and a Seamus earlier this year

Nice! little guy Iris looks like a "Jasper" to me...

Haha yeah i can see that I think the name of Little Guy is going to stick though, I've called him that for so long.

 

[SilentDeviL]

Nice collection keep it up you'll many more species to try .

 

[MandellaMandy123]

I hope that someday I can get some Phyllocrania paradoxa.... I love ghosties!

 

[twolfe]

Wolfie,

Thanks for sharing your collection. You must have more time to enjoy them with the number that you have.

Did you catch them as adults or nymphs? I've mostly had exotics and am interested in trying more species found in the US sometime in the future. So, maybe some day you will have your Ghosts and I'll have Stagmomantis.

Tammy

 

[MandellaMandy123]

Hi Tammy,

I do really enjoy having this few, I can really spend time with each one. And it's not so stressful to have to catch food or get to the store to buy crickets. I had a moldy nightmare in the crickets I was raising...

I caught Ailbhe and Caitriona at Subadult, Moira at Presubadult, Ailise and Little Guy at adulthood, and Deirdre at like L3 or L4. You should try Stagmomantis - they're fun. Are there any Iris oratoria in where you live? They're a really great species.

~Wolfie

 

[OctoberRainne]

I love your female limbata most,nice mantids all together tho

 

[twolfe]

Are there any Iris oratoria in where you live? They're a really great species.

Wolfie, I've never seen a mantis here in Minnesota. I know some people say that they see them, but they are probably Chinese mantids that people release in their gardens. I'm not sure if any species can survive the zone 4 winters (we are close to zone 3) here in the Twin Cities area, though we've had more moderate winters the past couple of years. I grew up next door in Wisconsin and have occasionally seen them there, but it may have been when we were visiting relatives or vacationing near Milwaukee, in La Crosse or Door County.I got interested in mantids two years ago while vacationing with my family in Texas. We found mantids outside on the vacation rental house. I'd love to do a collecting trip in the fall sometime, or even just go somewhere were I can photograph them in the wild again.

 

[MandellaMandy123]

I love your female limbata most,nice mantids all together tho

Thanks Tammy, that's too bad you don't have any native mantid species. I can't imagine living somewhere where there are no mantids! At least you went to Texas and saw mantids there Otherwise you might never have kept them!

 

[MandellaMandy123]

Here's two more of Deirdre

 

[lancaster1313]

I love seeing your local mantids!

Please keep the photos coming.

I would probably never see a mantis around here with a blue tipped labrum like Deidre's. <3

 

[MandellaMandy123]

Thanks I love the blue too - so striking!

 

[Domanating]

The color of that Religiosa is pretty unique for my experience. Never seen that mix of green-blue

 

[MandellaMandy123]

She's probably the prettiest religiosa I've ever had. I love her mix of green, blue, and pink.

Here another pic of my I. oratoria, Caitriona:

Her head's not blurry in the actual photo, but for some reason it looks that way... Hmm...