# Rhombodera cf valida HATCH (extreme closeup)



## Precarious (Aug 9, 2012)

Giant shield mantis (Rhombodera cf valida) nymphs hatch. They emerge with a black skullcap likely intended to protect the head as they push through the surface of the ootheca. Once out, the skull cap falls away, remaining attached to the harness that is part of the egg case which they then shed by splitting at the back and pushing out in a hunched position, much as they do in later life during a molt. The limbs, which looked like rubbery tentacles upon exit, become engorged with fluid taking their permanent shape once pulled from the egg case. I believe the bodily fluids are initially stored in the head, beneath the skull cap. Take notice to how swollen the head is until the limbs and body segments expand. There are several shots of a fully expanded nymph next to one just emerging. The length increase is quite noticeable.

About 359 nymphs emerged over several hours from this ooth. I thought they would never stop coming!

I know this video is long but it's not intended to be entertaining so much as informative for those interested in this process.

Soundtrack by Precarious.

Photos here:

Rhombodera cf. valida - hatch &amp; nymphs


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## Paradoxica (Aug 9, 2012)

Wow it looks VERY alien!


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## OctoberRainne (Aug 9, 2012)

Fantastic share,had no idea they looked soo funny right after emerging


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## melano (Aug 9, 2012)

Amazing !

I love the ballet between two of the nymphs and when they just begin to emerge ...

Now I'm going to make nightmare of a mix of aliens and octopus invading the earth


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## rSon (Aug 9, 2012)

Wow amazing video. Always been a fan of your videos on YouTube. I'm surprised how far down they hang from the Ooth or is it just me?


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## twolfe (Aug 9, 2012)

Nicely done! Excellent quality. I'm amazed how sharp it is. And the music is perfect.

Sadly, I only have 9 nymphs from my cf valida ooth that started to hatch yesterday. It's interesting that they start out green and then become green/brown within 24 hours.


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## Precarious (Aug 9, 2012)

melano said:


> Now I'm going to make nightmare of a mix of aliens and octopus invading the earth


What?!?!? Who told you our plan?


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## sueb4653 (Aug 9, 2012)

Great video


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## Precarious (Aug 9, 2012)

rSon said:


> Wow amazing video. Always been a fan of your videos on YouTube. I'm surprised how far down they hang from the Ooth or is it just me?


It's not just you. This species drops pretty low. Nearly the height of the 32 oz deli cup.


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## hibiscusmile (Aug 9, 2012)

Nice going P!


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## hierodula (Aug 9, 2012)

Soo Many :tt1: . Be careful, theyre gonna start takin over your house :tt2: 

But seriously, great job and pics dude.


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## ismart (Aug 10, 2012)

Geez! That is awesome footage! Thank-you for posting these videos. Please keep em coming.


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## Mime454 (Aug 10, 2012)

Do they make that web stuff that they hang from, or is it part of the ooth?


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## agent A (Aug 10, 2012)

Mime454 said:


> Do they make that web stuff that they hang from, or is it part of the ooth?


i think it's curled up in the egg with them so they can hang from it


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## Mime454 (Aug 10, 2012)

agent A said:


> i think it's curled up in the egg with them so they can hang from it


I've always just found it interesting. It looks for all the world as if they are spinning it as they come out. Still, do we know anything about it? Is it analogous to spider web?


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## rs4guy (Aug 10, 2012)

Really nice vid Prec, as usual!


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## Precarious (Aug 10, 2012)

Mime454 said:


> Do they make that web stuff that they hang from, or is it part of the ooth?





agent A said:


> i think it's curled up in the egg with them so they can hang from it


I'm with agent A on this. It's part of the egg case, which is why the egg case is left dangling from it once it's been shed. Webbing would require a whole new set of complex organs that are never used again. It is pretty cool though.

Human babies do the same thing if you let them dangle from the umbilical cord. They shed the birthing skin and become about the size of a 6-year-old. You're not supposed to know about that. The Illuminati keep it under wraps. That's why they don't like women to give birth at home, just in case it happens and the secret gets out.


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## agent A (Aug 10, 2012)

Precarious said:


> I'm with agent A on this. It's part of the egg case, which is why the egg case is left dangling from it once it's been shed. Webbing would require a whole new set of complex organs that are never used again. It is pretty cool though.
> 
> Human babies do the same thing if you let them dangle from the umbilical cord. They shed the birthing skin and become about the size of a 6-year-old. You're not supposed to know about that. The Illuminati keep it under wraps. That's why they don't like women to give birth at home, just in case it happens and the secret gets out.


well when that happened with me, i fell on my head


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## Precarious (Aug 10, 2012)

agent A said:


> well when that happened with me, i fell on my head


That actually explains a lot.


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## Mime454 (Aug 10, 2012)

Precarious said:


> I'm with agent A on this. It's part of the egg case, which is why the egg case is left dangling from it once it's been shed. Webbing would require a whole new set of complex organs that are never used again. It is pretty cool though.


What is it made from? It's really amazing that the female can make it, but it seems like it would be very intricate to make sure that every nymph has their own spinneret to hang from.


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## Precarious (Aug 10, 2012)

Mime454 said:


> What is it made from?


Angel hair and Unobtainium.


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## twolfe (Aug 10, 2012)

My cf valida ooth hatching would have been much less exciting to video...at least the hatch so far. It's produced 24 nymphs over a two day period. There are two more emerging from the ooth right now. After seeing your photos again, I'm considering getting my indoor macro set up going again. It's interesting how these hatch compared to others.


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## Precarious (Aug 10, 2012)

Tammy Wolfe said:


> My cf valida ooth hatching would have been much less exciting to video...at least the hatch so far. It's produced 24 nymphs over a two day period. There are two more emerging from the ooth right now. After seeing your photos again, I'm considering getting my indoor macro set up going again. It's interesting how these hatch compared to others.


That's pretty strange. I wonder if the difference between our conditions could explain that. I'm pretty sure you incubate the same way I do though. Did the female lay very soon after breeding?


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## Norlin (Aug 10, 2012)

I'm guessing it's similar to the threads that you see each time a mantis molts. It seems the always have one from around where their legs meet their body, two threads.


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## Norlin (Aug 10, 2012)

Precarious said:


> Angel hair and Unobtainium.


I've been saving all those threads, I hope one day to be able to make a giant drill, not sure what I'd use it for, but I'm thinking I'd like to make it so you can ride inside of it.


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## Precarious (Aug 10, 2012)

Norlin said:


> I'm guessing it's similar to the threads that you see each time a mantis molts. It seems the always have one from around where their legs meet their body, two threads.


Those are actually the skin that lines the inside of their spiracles (the holes they breath through).


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## Norlin (Aug 10, 2012)

Precarious said:


> Those are actually the skin that lines the inside of their spiracles (the holes they breath through).


Awesome! You learn something all the time here!


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## Precarious (Aug 10, 2012)

Norlin said:


> I've been saving all those threads, I hope one day to be able to make a giant drill, not sure what I'd use it for, but I'm thinking I'd like to make it so you can ride inside of it.


You may be able to one day weave them into a sweater that makes you invulnerable. You could take over the world!


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## twolfe (Aug 10, 2012)

Precarious said:


> That's pretty strange. I wonder if the difference between our conditions could explain that. I'm pretty sure you incubate the same way I do though. Did the female lay very soon after breeding?


I mated her right before I left for Colorado (around 6/15/2012). She laid her first ooth between 7/3/2012 - 7/10/2012. I was away for four days during that period. Since it's already hatching and she laid her second ooth in early August, I assume it was closer to July 3.I've been incubating the valida ooth the same way I incubated the stalii ooths since I had a lot of success with them, but this is strange. There were some stalii nymphs that emerged the day before the big hatch, but then I had hundreds of nymphs emerge the next day within a few hours.


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## melano (Aug 10, 2012)

Precarious said:


> What?!?!? Who told you our plan?


I know the real and simple truth !!! I saw the excellent prediction film







which reveal your diabolic plane to invade us and transform us to that


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## Precarious (Aug 10, 2012)

melano said:


> I know the real and simple truth !!! I saw the excellent prediction film
> 
> 
> 
> ...


  OK, OK... You got me.


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## bobericc (Aug 11, 2012)

great video i think I remember another one you took of the black skull caps, amazing stuff

congrats on the next generation


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## animalexplorer (Aug 11, 2012)

Oops! I meant to write in this post but I wrote in one of your other posts, not that the other post is bad the purple green mantid is really cool plus I always enjoy the cool soundtracts you incorporate into the videos. This one is amazing, I loved watching the little mantids breach into the new world, so alien like.


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