# The trio



## Mantis Lady (Apr 24, 2018)

I am infected with the mantids collecting virus and bought me some new mantids to raise ^_^ They came today in good health en very hungry so they hunted the fruitflies i gave them very fast. The  Creobroter gemmatus  even molted during the journey and had a good molt.

I have 1 Creobroter gemmatus and 2 Sphodromantis gastrica ( hope that one is female and the other male) and made their new homes. The mantids are so tiny. (L2-L3)I dont have pics of them (yet) I hope they will grow to healthy strong mantids. I don't have names for them yet, because i can't see what gender they are.

I can just show the homes i made for them this afternoon.


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## Ocelotbren (Apr 24, 2018)

How exciting, here's hoping that the Sphodromantis are a pair!


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## Mantis Lady (Apr 24, 2018)

I hope their homes are good enough for for the little nymphs.

I hope indeed the Sphodromantis are a pair that is why I bought 2 of them. ^_^


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## Mantis Lady (Apr 24, 2018)

I could make some pics where the little mantids are visible: they were eating some fruitflies. They are so fast, handling them will take a while till they are bigger. I am afraid to loose them.


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## River Dane (Apr 24, 2018)

Congratulations on your new Mantids! Anyone would be happy with a little Mantis Virus.   

Good luck with the little guys/gals!


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## Mantis Lady (May 1, 2018)

Thank you 

They are doing fine. All 3 are eating well. Hope they will grow up to happy mantids.

could make some pics while handling them.




It is said this one is a male, so his name will be Yoda because he looks so alien.




For now this is mantis 1 till i know what gender it is.




This is for now mantis 2: a very curious energetic mantid. 2 nymphs from the same nest and already a lot of difference in character. It won't sit still to take pic of his butt  (yet)


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## River Dane (May 1, 2018)

Good to know they’re doing well! 

And I really like the name Yoda for him, it’s nice and unique! Mantis 1 and Mantis 2 are also really adorable, they have a nice color right now.

Hope they do well, too! Keep us posted!


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## Mantis Lady (May 2, 2018)

I will keep you all updated

I hope they keep the red stripe. They have it at the back of their heads too. We will see when they have to molt.


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## MantisGirl13 (May 2, 2018)

So cute! I love how you named him Yoda.  Sphodromantis gastrica are very energetic! Mine race around their cages at least ten times everyday!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 7, 2018)

Mantis 1 molted today and its grown a bit larger. I was surprised to see a small molt hanging on a leaf in her/his cup. Let him be for now and will try to take a pic of the belly . Maybe it I can see the segments  to see what gender she/he is. Then he can get a real name instead of Mantis 1. That is boring.


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## Mantis Lady (May 7, 2018)

I made a pic of Mantis 1 and its lost skin. Could mantis 1 be a female?


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## MantisGirl13 (May 7, 2018)

Possibly. You can't tell for sure very well until they are sub-adult. Hope so!


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## Mantis Lady (May 7, 2018)

A new pic of mantis 1, the red it has on him/her is brownish now. But he/she is still cute. It was hard to take it, it was moving like he/she was sitting in the wind.


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## MantisGirl13 (May 8, 2018)

Yeah! Those babies move so fast! I love the brown coloring!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 9, 2018)

Mantis 1 lost totally the green color. But I like the brown color combination. I hope Mantis 2 keeps its green colors, but it still needs to molt.

This pic i made before sleeping after feeding and misting them: It made me laugh seeing this little nymph with 2 flies in its frontlegs and eating the 3rd


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## Ocelotbren (May 9, 2018)

Haha someone is hungry!


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## Mantis Lady (May 9, 2018)

it needed food after the molt  

I am thinking about to call mantis 2: *Flash*. It is so fast when I open the cup to feed. and that is a name that would fit a male or a female i think.


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## Ocelotbren (May 9, 2018)

I agree, that name sounds good to me.


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## MantisGirl13 (May 9, 2018)

Welcome, Flash! I hope that he molts ok and keeps his green coloring! 

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 9, 2018)

Now only this brown one needs a name


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## Mantis Lady (May 10, 2018)

Update: Flash molted last night and Yoda is being busy with molting. Flash kept her/his green color but looks smaller than Mantis 1. I will show some pics later


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## MantisGirl13 (May 10, 2018)

Congrats on the molt! I am glad that Flash kept his coloring. You should call mantis #1 Cricket. Please do post some pics!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 10, 2018)

I am thinking to call mantis 1: *Hunter* because he/she ate 3 fruitflies in 1 go. Cricket is not a good name, does make me think about food for mantids  

Here are some pics of the freshly molted nymphs:











Hunter and Flash are L3

Yoda is L4, but dont think he has grown a lot during his molt.


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## MantisGirl13 (May 10, 2018)

I have a Sphodromantis gastrica named Hunter too! This will get confusing...

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 10, 2018)

Post a pic your your Hunter. Is he brown too?


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## MantisGirl13 (May 10, 2018)

No, He's green. Let me take a pic, and ill see if i can figure out how to post it...

- MantisGirl13


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## MantisGirl13 (May 10, 2018)

Here he is. He is so fast, so please excuse the bluriness?


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## Mantis Lady (May 10, 2018)

Your mantids deserve a topic too because they are mantids. (and I like to see pics of other ppls mantids)


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## Mantis Lady (May 10, 2018)

yeah the Sphodromantis never sit stil and hard to take a good pic


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## MantisGirl13 (May 10, 2018)

I know, right! I need to get a better camera before I can post too many pictures. Soon, though!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 13, 2018)

Made a few pics of yoda and hunter during feeding time. Next time will take one of Flash too.


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## MantisGirl13 (May 13, 2018)

So pretty! I like Hunter's pink eyes, and Yoda is just so handsome!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 15, 2018)

Here is a closeup of Flash: when I look at its butt it looks like a female?


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## MantisGirl13 (May 16, 2018)

Cute! If only they could actually talk and we could understand them! That would be amazing!   

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 22, 2018)

It is a crappy picture, but this saturday i saw this marking on Yodas back. Why a marking there if it will be covered with wings when he is an adult.


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## MantisGirl13 (May 22, 2018)

Probably as part of the threat display as a nymph. You have such a pretty little man there! 

Btw, my Hunter molted a few days ago.   

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 23, 2018)

gratz on the molt. Yeah that could be. Yoda keeps his abdomen always high up.


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## MantisGirl13 (May 23, 2018)

I think most flower mantid nymphs keep their abdomen over their thorax, until they are adult. I have noticed that my native species here don't do that.

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 28, 2018)

I fed the little ones. The picture of Yoda wasn't good. Yoda has turned yellow with his stripes, but not visible on pic.




But i have some sad news too: little Hunter died. I never thought i would cry over a little bug, but I did. I made this to remember little Hunter:


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## MantisGirl13 (May 28, 2018)

I am so sorry about Hunter! Do you know why she died? It is always so sad to lose a mantis.   I lost a ghost this morning to cannibalism.

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 28, 2018)

I didn't know what impact a loss of a mantis would do with myself. Even she was few weeks with me. I still miss her when I look at Yoda and Flash. They belonged together because they arrived together.

* Sighs*


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## MantisGirl13 (May 28, 2018)

Death is a fact of life. There is nothing we can do about it, except pray. 

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 29, 2018)

Agree on that. The others are doing fine and that is a good thing.


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## MantisGirl13 (May 29, 2018)

Good. Let's hope that they all stay healthy!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 30, 2018)

Flash did molt secretly last night. I saw her abdomen is flat now when I wanted to feed her, but will wait 1 day for feeding her.  I am suspecting Yoda will follow her example too. (couple of days later) She is now L4


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## Synapze (May 30, 2018)

@Little Mantis So sorry for your loss. It's obvious that she was well loved.


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## Mantis Lady (May 30, 2018)

Thank you. It is sad when you loose a pet even it is a bug, but little Hunter was my bug. Flash was her sister.


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## Mantis Lady (May 30, 2018)

new pics of freshly molted Flash:


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## Synapze (May 30, 2018)

So pretty!


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## Jessie (May 30, 2018)

Little Mantis said:


> new pics of freshly molted Flash:
> 
> View attachment 10832
> 
> ...


Very beautiful I love the photos .


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## Mantis Lady (May 30, 2018)

Thank you, Flash will be  pretty female when she grows up.


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## MantisGirl13 (May 31, 2018)

She is getting to be very pretty. I just love her pale green color! You have some beautiful mantids   

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 31, 2018)

I think this is a nice pic of Yoda eating his dinner:


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## MantisGirl13 (May 31, 2018)

Nice for mantis keepers, not so nice for squeamish people!   Good thing I'm not a squeamish person, because I handle mantids, roaches, fruit flies, etc. a couple times a day!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Jun 1, 2018)

I have no problem with toutching my feeders either. Think most ppl will shiver when I have a roach in my hand  I saw even ppl look at Cochise if I had a monster in my hand. Was on camping trip a couple of weeks ago and showed Cochise.


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## MantisGirl13 (Jun 1, 2018)

Yeah, I camp over the summer, and every time I walk into the main lodge area with a mantis on my hand, I will get stared at, some people move away, others move closer. It is hilarious! 

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Jun 4, 2018)

Yoda molted last night but I have the feeling one of his behind legs isn't that good. He is not using that leg. I will have a better look at him when he is dried up and I can handle him to give it a better look.?


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## MantisGirl13 (Jun 4, 2018)

i hope that he is ok! If it is only one leg, it shouldn't be a huge problem. 

- MantisGirl13


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## Synapze (Jun 4, 2018)

Good luck, Yoda!


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## Mantis Lady (Jun 4, 2018)

I did have a good look at yoda and his right backleg is damaged. somehow his "foot" isnt working right, he has no hooks on it. I have the feeling he has no grip with that leg.

Yoda didn't grow much, it is still hard to take a apic of him.


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## MantisGirl13 (Jun 4, 2018)

The foot looks ok to me, but maybe it is the camera angle. Well, I hope the next molt goes ok!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Jun 5, 2018)

He  is been able to hang on the lid where he last time molted. I don't see a problem with that. But why he keeps his leg off of the ground and grabs nothing with it? That is strange. I will have a look at him today and see how the leg works. Cochise her leg was a bit bend after a molt, but she found out how to use the leg and next molt it was healed.


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## MantisGirl13 (Jun 5, 2018)

Hmm, well I guess only time will tell what happens!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Jun 5, 2018)

yup. I will see when I am going to feed him how he uses his leg. I think he will be hungry now and wants to hunt somthing eatable.


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## MantisGirl13 (Jun 5, 2018)

Can you post pics of him hunting/eating? 

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Jun 5, 2018)

yeah I can do that. I was planning to feed him out of his cup. I want to see him walk.?


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## MantisGirl13 (Jun 5, 2018)

Ok! Well I hope that he has no trouble catching his prey.   

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Jun 5, 2018)

Yoda had no troubles at all. He was using his leg normally.  I think I am worried too much.

Here are the promised pics:


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## MantisGirl13 (Jun 5, 2018)

Cute! I guess you were a little too worried, but I was the same with my ghost male yesterday, so I get it! It looks  like he tackled that cricket just fine   

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Jun 6, 2018)

Yup, he ate it whole. ?


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## Mantis Lady (Jun 12, 2018)

Flash did a surprise molt. I wanted to feed her and found an old molt from her.


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## MantisGirl13 (Jun 12, 2018)

Yay Flash! Congratz on the successful molt!

- MantisGirl13


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