# Pseudovates arizonae (Arizona Unicorn mantis)



## yen_saw (Sep 8, 2007)

Finally, my search for both elusive unicorn mantis in the USA is over. This is the Arizona unicorn mantis i have been looking for after the Texas Unicorn mantis, a big thanks to Francisco!!

The ooth from wild collected female







Newly hatched nymph - looks almost identical to Texas Unicorn mantis


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## Andrew (Sep 8, 2007)

Awesome! But wasn't this the species that is difficult to breed in captivity?

Regardless, you seem to be having success with them.


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## john_jb1 (Sep 8, 2007)

wicked, very nice looking. You must have one heck of a good camera lens! The quality in them pics is amazing! How many of the little buggers hatched out?

-john_jb1-


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## yen_saw (Sep 8, 2007)

> Awesome! But wasn't this the species that is difficult to breed in captivity? Regardless, you seem to be having success with them.


Based on what i have heard, the mated female often poduces infertile ooth. If they are any similar to the Texas Unicorn mantis, i would keep the male for longer period of time, female starts to produce infertile ooth as early as after 3-4 oothecae.



> wicked, very nice looking. You must have one heck of a good camera lens! The quality in them pics is amazing! How many of the little buggers hatched out? -john_jb1-


The ooth actually hatched during shipment  i have only few to work with... need some lucks here! there were about 25 nymphs hatched out in total.


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## Precious (Sep 8, 2007)

Congrats Yen! They are lovely, much like the Texas. Mine are thriving btw, thanks to you!


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## john_jb1 (Sep 9, 2007)

omg Yen, that was real bad luck then.


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## yen_saw (Sep 11, 2007)

Yea that was bummer  by putting extra effort on the survival i hope to see both adult native unicorn species (Texas and Arizona) on my hand, would be great don't you think? :wink:


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## Ian (Sep 11, 2007)

Nice work Yen! Do keep us updated with this species as so many people seem to be talking about it.


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## yen_saw (Sep 13, 2007)

Thanks Ian, lets hope my luck is as good as the one with Texas Unicorn.


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## yen_saw (Sep 17, 2007)

After first moult, still waiting for the "lobes" to appear.


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## yen_saw (Sep 27, 2007)

Another moult gone, third instar now and small lobes starts to appear on the legs. That appear to be the only thing separating Texas unicorn and Arizona unicorn from the outlook. Can't believe they are not even in the same genus.


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## yen_saw (Nov 21, 2007)

It has been 2 and half month now, the Arizona unicorn appear to take their own sweet time to grow. Maybe i haven't keep them warm enough, but i am pretty sure they have plenty to eat. Here are some pics of them, appear to be just 2 molts away from adult.


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## yen_saw (Dec 1, 2007)

This species appear to be smaller than Texas unicorn, but have nice lobes on legs and abdomen. They finally speed up their growth now.

SUbadult male






The one on the right is female with 2 molts away.


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## macro junkie (Dec 2, 2007)

nice pics yen


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## hibiscusmile (Dec 2, 2007)

They are so neat looking Yen, they seem to like crawling on you too!


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## yen_saw (Dec 18, 2007)

Finally the first adult male of this elusive Arizona unicorn mantis, took a good 3+ months to mature, female is one molt behind. THe black spots on the adult male's wings are more apparent than the Texas unicorn mantis. The size is slightly smaller than the Texas unicorn.


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## Andrew (Dec 18, 2007)

Lookin good! Is the horn longer on these guys?


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## yen_saw (Dec 18, 2007)

Thanks Andrew, the horn is about the same (as Texas unicorn) but slightly thicker, i am waiting for the female adult specimen. Will post them up when i have the first adult female ready. From Texas to Arizona, this is pretty cool i felt like the luckiest person now  I can only hope they can breed for a new generation.


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## Orin (Dec 18, 2007)

The lobes on the abdomen are neat on this species and the coloration is much stronger than Phyllovates. It is odd they're not in the same genus.

Nobody ever had trouble rearing them up, it's gettin them to produce viable oothecae. The problem is that unlike the Texas unicorn which is very easy, even if you get fertile oothecae nobody you send them to will so they'll either end with this generation or the next. I know, I sent out hundreds and nobody ever bred any of them.


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## hibiscusmile (Dec 18, 2007)

They are so neat with their horn and those long necks.


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## Hypoponera (Dec 18, 2007)

Well Orin, how many of those people in the past were Yen? If anyone can rear P. arizonae successfully, it will be Yen!! Yen, I would be happy to try hatching out one of the new ooths when you get a spare.


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## yen_saw (Dec 18, 2007)

Well i knew this is not going to be an easy meat, but i will give it a try nevertheless. I have gone too far now to retreat!  

It doesn't take too long for the female to mature, just a day after my first male moulted into adult, the other subadult female decided to get her wings too  







Here is the adult pair











Now it becomes apparent that adult female has different wing pattern compared to the Texas unicorn











Texas unicorn female in my culture also appear to be larger than the Arizona unicorn mantis (female)


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## hibiscusmile (Dec 19, 2007)

They look so much alike, I just mated the final of my texas tonight, it was too easy! How are these to mate Yen, let us know.


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## yen_saw (Dec 19, 2007)

Congrate on your Texas unicorn Becky  will keep update here on how this species fare on breeding. The pair just moulted few days ago into adult, too shy to mate


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## Orin (Dec 19, 2007)

Hypoponera said:


> Well Orin, how many of those people in the past were Yen? If anyone can rear P. arizonae successfully, it will be Yen!! Yen, I would be happy to try hatching out one of the new ooths when you get a spare.


Reread the post, I didn't say Yen couldn't do it.


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## yen_saw (Dec 20, 2007)

Please, i just want to share the update with this species, i appreciate the warning from Orin and your kind word Mike. Lets hope luck is on my side for the second time on this native unicorn species.


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## Orin (Dec 20, 2007)

yen_saw said:


> Please, i just want to share the update with this species, i appreciate the warning from Orin and your kind word Mike. Lets hope luck is on my side for the second time on this native unicorn species.


Love the photos and updates Yen, just adding a little information. Also, maybe understanding the breeding isn't easy like _Phyllovates_ will make your success more likely.

It's at least the third time. I sent out a bunch a few years ago and not as many on trades to breeders six or seven years before that.


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## yen_saw (Dec 20, 2007)

Thanks Orin. Hopefully with more mantis hobbyists in this country, this beautiful native species can continue for generations.


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## Kruszakus (Dec 20, 2007)

Just what is so elusive about this species?

Do not tempt me - I like challenges, hehehe


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## Andrew (Dec 20, 2007)

Was it the breeding itself or hatching of the ootheca(be it infertile, or whatever) that made this species difficult?


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## yen_saw (Dec 20, 2007)

Kruszakus said:


> Just what is so elusive about this species?


By elusive i meant they are rarely found in the wild.



Andrew said:


> Was it the breeding itself or hatching of the ootheca(be it infertile, or whatever) that made this species difficult?


i am trying to find out myself. But if my memory didn't fail me it is the ooth infertility that was the concern. Is that right Orin?


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## Orin (Dec 21, 2007)

yen_saw said:


> By elusive i meant they are rarely found in the wild.i am trying to find out myself. But if my memory didn't fail me it is the ooth infertility that was the concern. Is that right Orin?


 They're really easy to rear up to adulthood with nearly 100% survival and minimal care. The problem is just timing, mating and egg laying. Your 'power feeding' should take care of the first one or two but maybe not the third.


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## yen_saw (Dec 21, 2007)

They are difficult to kill that's true! I have about only a dozen left after the ooth hatched during shipment but those that survived been doing very well. In fact, don't think any die yet and i have roughly a dozen of them left still. Current count are 2 adult females and 1 adult male, the rest are mainly at subadult stage. So timing should be alright. My concern right now is that i have female bias group, just hope the adult male knows what to do and females know when to lay ooth  They seems to like very hot weather that's for sure.


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## yen_saw (Dec 22, 2007)

Think I'm addicted to movie clip :lol: here is one crappy clip





SOme outdoor pics, love the coloration of this species.











this one loves Santa


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## yen_saw (Jan 3, 2008)

Too many mantis, and too little time to update here  

Another milestone reached. THey are easy to breed as male doesn't hesitate at all.






Now i need another two huge steps to "complete" this species, i.e. for female to lay an ooth and that the ooth is viable and hatch. Can't wait.


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## yen_saw (Jan 5, 2008)

Now just one step away to "complete" the breeding cycle for this species. Ooth has arrived


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## yen_saw (Jan 8, 2008)

:blink: The same mantis produce another smaller ooth in less than a week?? My guess is this species can produce dozen of ooth just like the Texas unicorn.






My second female produced an incomplete ooth..bummer  I wonder if her next ooth be normal :huh: BUt my guess is that she wasn't kept in a warm spot, the first one was right under the heat lamp and her first ooth is HUGE.






The third female produced a normal ooth today..yay


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## yen_saw (Jan 15, 2008)

More update.... more females being mated and ooth being layed by different females, so far ootheca laying hasn't been an issue. Boy i better prepare more fruit fly culture cos if they all hatched i would be scrambling for one for sure.


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## yen_saw (Feb 11, 2008)

YES!! here comes the first generation of Arizona unicorn mantis (_Pseudovates arizonae_), the very first ooth layed on 4th of Jan hatched out about 45 nymphs. For some reason i was expecting a larger hatch out rate due to the larger ooth size. Hopefully there are still more hatchling coming out from the same ooth but i am sure many more oothecae to hatch a lot more nymphs in near future.


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## Gurd (Feb 11, 2008)

Congrats mate bet your well chuffed


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## Andrew (Feb 11, 2008)

Wow! Congratulations, that's quite an accomplishment.

So here's a question...what made you successful with them when everyone else failed? :huh:


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## yen_saw (Feb 12, 2008)

Gurd said:


> Congrats mate bet your well chuffed


Thanks Craig! I am  



Andrew said:


> Wow! Congratulations, that's quite an accomplishment.So here's a question...what made you successful with them when everyone else failed? :huh:


First let me know if you are going to sell me the O. distinctus female :lol: 

Nothing special on rearing / breeding this species, i will let my log do the talking.

http://www.usamantis.com/Parizonae_log.html

One thing i would like to add is that rearing/breeding Texas unicorn really help me in providing a better husbandry to this species.


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## Hypoponera (Feb 12, 2008)

Hey Yen,

All I can say is OUTSTANDING!!!! Glad to see your success! Hopefully the AZ unicorn will become a staple in the hobby.

45 nymphs isn't too bad. That's a nice managable number. Now, how many ooths do you have waiting to hatch? At say, 30-45 nymphs per ooth.... Man I hope you have several fruit fly cultures ready!

What a tease! You post a link to your log on the species, but it isn't updated! :lol: Just proves again that I need to learn to be patient!!


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## yen_saw (Feb 12, 2008)

Thanks for the kind word Mike, i certainly hope this species can continue and became more readily available in the future. You will have the chance to rear them in the future i am sure  

I have many oothecae right now as this species is capable of depositing ootheca weekly when the condition is right and food are plenty. I need to update my webpage more often but like to bring the news in this forum in advance


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## yen_saw (Feb 16, 2008)

Love to see hatching during weekend!! Here the second Arizona unicorn ooth hatched out about 70 nymphs!! Glad i've completed a generation for this species, the end of this thread for me for now. Thanks for following this dairy


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## Kruszakus (Feb 16, 2008)

Congrats dude!

Keep up the good work!


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## yen_saw (Feb 16, 2008)

Thanks Kruszakus, hopefully the rest of the ooth will continue to hatch and this can continue for generations. As Orin mentioned previously, it was unfortunate that this species just disappear without a trace even after he sold a bunch, the last time i saw them available was probably when i start breeding mantis back in 2004.


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## Kruszakus (Feb 17, 2008)

I hope you will establish it as a popular species - Texicorns are different, but they give a glimpse of what this species is, and I must say that when your family sees a group of unicorns and they go "wow", and compare it to monsters from Alien, you have this cool feeling, that you bugged out the heck out of them with those babies - yeah.

By the way - your unicorns moulted again - I'm closer and closer to the final stage, they should be ready by the end of March, yeehay!


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## yen_saw (Feb 17, 2008)

Ha i like the new nick name "Texicorn"  they can grow up really fast when it is warm, i remember some of mine managed to mature into adult in as little as 70 days from hatching. But that duration could easily double with cooler temperature. Best of luck to your Texicorn!


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