So this the one?!?! the 'elusive' Larger Florida mantis?

[kamakiri]

I'm guessing at a 8+ week incubation period. Mine still haven't hatched...indoor or out.

 

[massaman]

yep I hate waiting too kind of hard to be patient on some ooths while others hatch quickly and its the suspense that is killing me but all I can do is wait and just mist and watch!

 

[yen_saw]

How many females did you have?! .....

Still have few more females alive, but not for long.

Will bring some ootheca back into stable 85F for incubating starting next month.

 

[Rick]

Wow Yen. I am keeping my ooths in the 80's. Can't wait!

 

[ismart]

Will bring some ootheca back into stable 85F for incubating starting next month.

Yen, what temps are you keeping the ooths in now?

 

[yen_saw]

Yen, what temps are you keeping the ooths in now?

Currently (Close to 2 months) the oothecae are outside the house. ~65-70F (day) / 45-50F (night) - SE Texas weather around this time. Nice eh

Edit: Trying to follow Tampa's weather. Do not let the ooth experience temperature below 35F for too long.

 

[Rick]

Currently (Close to 2 months) the oothecae are outside the house. ~65-70F (day) / 45-50F (night) - SE Texas weather around this time. Nice eh Edit: Trying to follow Tampa's weather. Do not let the ooth experience temperature below 35F for too long.

I hope they don't need any cold. I started mine straight away.

 

[massaman]

same here as soon as I got mine I put them in a 32 oz cup and been misting every day and also got a limbata ooth with them but hoping they hatch by x-mas or new years at least.I am not sure if this will be a problem but only able to keep my apartment in the seventies and there is no way I can get the temp in the 80s that would be a stretch on the heat bill so trying to keep things room temp at least!

 

[yen_saw]

Promise to update here if anything hatch. Might take a long time. The Yersiniops sophronicum and Litaneutria minor oothecae had me waited for 6 months before hatching, i hope this one doesn't take as long.

 

[massaman]

question would it be a problem to put the Floridensis ooths outside even if they been in the apartment for a few weeks to a month or would it be too late and they are going through development stages and not advised to put back outside!

 

[yen_saw]

Sorry for coming back late on this one Paul. As there is no breeding/incubating record for this species I can only guess. If this species indeed need a cooler temperature to kick start incubating, it shouldn't be a matter to bring the ooth out for cooler temp now. The ootheca will just experience a longer summer period in your apartment before you place it outdoor. Good luck, same as you I am also the guinea pig here.

 

[minard734]

This species can be found in Wahneta/Winterhaven, Florida, as well. It has been confirmed, as my cousin found many 70mm MALES!

 

[yen_saw]

Nice. Did your cousin find any females?

I would love to travel back to Florida and look for some S. floridensis again. I think this species is no longer in the culture.

 

[minard734]

No, no females at all. and yes, you should return to FL. If you get any S. floridensis, I would love to have some! Hahaha! Trade or money, either way. Unless my cousin can find a good amount.

 

[Gretchen]

Nice

 

[minard734]

Is it possible that there is another species of Stagmomantis in FL? My cousin caught a "floridensis" with carolina features. I just don't know about it. Tell me if you see the problem too. It is 70mm long. But look at the wing covers!!! Thorax is quite long... but notice how it's not so thin.

 

[aNisip]

That is a Stagmomantis carolina...yes there are other stagmomantis sp in FL....that's def a carolina...

 

[minard734]

That is a Stagmomantis carolina...yes there are other stagmomantis sp in FL....that's def a carolina...

I know you want to think it. I know it REALLY looks like one. I even asked Yen... he thinks it is floridensis, last time I checked. I've seen many carolina and they do NOT get this big... EVER! Not since I was 6, have I seen them this big... and regular carolina and floridensis are both down there... but these in betweeners are present... Also... I'll show you another picture... I am shocked that it's so big. I told my cousin it was carolina 'till I saw it in person... but look at the thorax and head:

See the "floridensis" and true floridensis together on the upper left hand corner? And see the carolinas to the right? It's weird.

Is a hybrid possible? It's not been proven wrong yet.

Just see how it is the same length as the floridensis to the left of it... and that floridensis is 69mm. What is wrong with it? Also see the 2 nice sized male floridensis in there. The carolinas were collected by me. They are all 48-60mm.

 

[Rick]

It looks like S. carolina to me, however the size is unusual if true.

 

[aNisip]

The only thing is that clearly tells me not floridensis is the skinny abdomen, they will never get that wide like the one in your picture; however a hybrid could very well be the case here...and not enough brown phase floridensis have been found yet...all we find are the big green ones and we can easily tell those apart...if I can raise some nymphs to adult hopefully I can get some brown phase and see the similarities and differences...