# Idolomantis Diabolica



## Luke

I was taking these pictures on a bush in my garden when she randomly caught a nearby bee.


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## robo mantis

I WANT THAT SPECIES!!!!! :x


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## OGIGA

Me too.... but not too soon. Anyway, just wondering, it seems like many people take their mantis outdoors for photoshoots. Do any of you worry about an exotic species escaping into the wild?

Oh yeah, great photos!


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## Ian

Lovely photos there Luke.


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## QiGongGuy

Great PIX!!! I want one!......Where did u get it from?


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## Jenn

Awesome photos!!! She is gorgeous!!


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## Asa

You have a very pretty garden, Luke. And an even prettier mantis!


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## ramantis

Agreed!! and here I thought my Orchids were beautiful!!


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## Asa

Where did you get it from Luke?


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## robo mantis

Lots of guys in Europe have them  not americans.


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## Asa

Just not fair.


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## robo mantis

I'll let you know if i get some


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## randyardvark

luke did you raise her from a baby? and is she your only one? i love how more and more people seem to have theese!


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## Ian

If anyone in the US would like some, I would be happy to purchase some over here, and ship them over. I wanted them for ages, and then kept them...very nice species I have to say, but I wasn't impressed by the shedding issues. But, certainly good to give them a go if you ahve never kept em before!

If you are interested, drop me in a PM


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## robo mantis

nymphs won't live a shipping over seas.


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## Ian

Yea they will, I have already sent several specimens to the US this year with no problems.


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## robo mantis

i want adults or ooth (guarenteed to hatch)


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## Ian

You cannot guarantee an ootheca will hatch, as there are many factors, espeically in transit, that could cause it not to hatch.

Also, if you are not prepared to buy nymphs, then be prepared to pay BIG bucks.


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## yen_saw

I really hope the oothecae traded will hatch. Give me some times, i should have some for sale. Ian is right about shipping ootheca for this species abroad, it is a risk for anyone to take.

Ian, what is the average hatching rate you got from your idolomantis ootheca?


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## Ian

Well Yen, firstly they were all wild caught specimens, and most of them were pretty grotty.

From about 3 of them, I had about 35 out of each, but I am not sure if this is good or bad hatching wise for Idolomantis. About 10 of the ootheca I only had 3 or 4 hatch out, but a few of them I later inspected, and they were parasite/wasp infected which may hav ebeen the problem.

The problem was rearing them, as it appeared that they got extremely stressed out. I resorted to splitting them into groups of 5 or so, when the deaths appeared to completely stop. Pretty much the same behaviour I had as the wild caught Tenodera.

But, once you have the split up, they are excelent feeders, and I must say I didn't have any problems thereafter.


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## yen_saw

I am trading couple of idolomantis oothecae from Sascha, his first ootheca usually hatched out around 50+ and about a dozen less nymphs on the following oothecae, so you are incubating it correctly and on the average hatching rate (could have been more.... i hate parasite wasp :evil: ).


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## Ian

Ah okay, well that sounds like a reasonable hatch rate.

Yea, parasitic wasps suck, that is the only down side to wild caught ootheca.


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## Asa

> I am trading couple of idolomantis oothecae from Sascha, his first ootheca usually hatched out around 50+ and about a dozen less nymphs on the following oothecae, so you are incubating it correctly and on the average hatching rate (could have been more.... i hate parasite wasp :evil: ).


Stupid parasite's :evil:


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## Rick

Great pics and an awesome mantis.


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## Luke

Heres some more pictures. Never had this species before and after hearing about difficulties raising them was a bit concerned I'd be unsucessful. Thankfully I've managed to rear these two from L3 and just a couple of days ago they mated. Any tips for oothecae substrate? The females currently in one of those mesh laundry holding things is that ok for laying on?


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## ellroy

Lovely photos, they look great in a natural setting,

Well done


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## Ian

Again, amazing photos Luke. That white just looks so pure!


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## robo mantis

Wow nice i think i'll have some in a month


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## Asa

I've got to get one.


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## robo mantis

Asa how much experiance do you have with exotic mantids?


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## Asa

A lot.


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## robo mantis

good then you can handle them


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## Asa

Yeah, I've had them before. They're one of my favorites.


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## robo mantis

Never had them i want them bad though.


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## Asa

I find their molts difficult.


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## robo mantis

oh?


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## Asa

But then, I find all mantid's molts difficult.


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## ellroy

The later moults are definitely difficult with Idolos but the earlier ones shouldn't be if you provide the correct conditions.

I would suggest that if you have problems with all your moults that you are not providing the correct conditions for them. What species are they?

Cheers

Alan


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## Asa

> The later moults are definitely difficult with Idolos but the earlier ones shouldn't be if you provide the correct conditions.I would suggest that if you have problems with all your moults that you are not providing the correct conditions for them. What species are they?
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Alan


By diffucult I really mean more as stressful. I have a few marble, chinese, african, Giant Indian, will be getting some Giant Asian, some orchirds, and a violin.


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## ellroy

Ah right, yes it can be a worrying time, especially near the final moult. As long as you provide the right conditions the rest is up to them. Unfortunately we all lose mantids when they decide to moult an inch off the ground!


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## Luke

Heres some blurry pictures of them mating!


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## Ian

Congrats Luke! You are now the third person to manage to mate their Idolos on the forum  

Nice work, let us know how things go.


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## Asa

Those pictures look fantastic, not blurry!


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## robo mantis

Its looks like a good mate.


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## swoosh

Great Photos Luke!  

Nice mantis as well.


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## chris_photo

How difficult is it to get this species in the USA?

What is the average price for nymphs? How about subadults and adults?


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## Morpheus uk

Thought i`d posted some of mine earlier, here they are anyway


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## robo mantis

Is there a certain way to get them to turn green?


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## Asa

There so pretty, *sigh*


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## Birdfly

> Is there a certain way to get them to turn green?


They turn green about 3 - 4 days after the final moult.

Below 24 - 48 hours after






Another 48 hours...


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## robo mantis

Thanks Birdfly!!!


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## yen_saw

Gary that was a very nice shot, looks good on cover page of National Geographic!!

Here is one of the two ootheca i have traded, i hope to get a chance (if the ootheca hatch) to pick your brain on rearing this species Gary.


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## spawn

Wow. Definitely gorgeous mantids. Awesome pictures too. My Violin Mantids had a tough time molting, and they're only L4 going onto L5. I currently have one that just molted to L5, and its thorax is bent completely over into a C shape. Still alive and kicking, but I don't think he can eat!


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## RodG

Spawn, try feeding it anyway as I had two violin nymphs that had the same thing happen. (not quite a C though) The next molt took care of the bend and I raised them both to maturity


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## RodG

Yen, best of luck with those ooths!!! I can't wait for a progress report


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## spawn

Okay, that's encouraging. I surround the guys with small flies (not too many to hurt them), so the option is still there to eat, and the container is small enough that the recurring option passes them by very often. His leg is also mangled. I hope the next molt fixes both issues  .

*Edit 6/17*: *I fed my mangled mantid via foreceps two small flies. He grabbed onto them and chewed on them for a good while, so I guess he's not a goner! I would love it if he recovered. One of my other one has limp legs, however. Do the Idolomantis have these problems too? Is it just a symptom of a forthcoming shed, the loss of use of one or more legs. I see this one mantid having all four legs gripping the wood, yet the body leaning to one side on the wood, like it can't support itself properly in the upright position. Is this normal?


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## yen_saw

> Yen, best of luck with those ooths!!! I can't wait for a progress report


Thanks Rod, give me all your luck  i will need it


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## Asa

Nice avatar Spawn. I hope your violins recover too.


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## spawn

Thanks. Two of them died past two days. I don't know why, but I think it may be because the temperatures weren't high enough, or too much humidity. However, the one with the 90 degree bend in the thorax from the mismolt is still living and eating!


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## RodG

Spawn, Check out Mantis Kingdom's website for caresheet on Violin

mantis. I followed it and had success with breeding them.


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## spawn

I guess the "80-104 F" recommendation isn't a joke. I thought mine would be okay at 75-80 degrees without a direct light on them. I now measured a certain spot in my project room where it's 54% humidity, and 93 F degrees, and I moved my last remaining mantid to it under a 100 W Halogen lamp. I also spray it lightly daily just to make sure there are SOME water droplets in case he wants to drink or needs the moisture to molt.


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## Morpheus uk

Took some more photos yesterday mornin












Got both my females out for a play






awwww arent they cute? lol
















Her antennae look crooked here, weird






They dont seemed to mind each other at all, can they be kept together?


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## Asa

Purple eyes...!


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## robo mantis

Don't keep them together they will attack eachother.


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## Asa

Almost all mantids do.


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## robo mantis

I know


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## yen_saw

Pretty!!!  

Believed mantis from Empusidae family are less prone to cannibalism and can be housed in group.


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## Luke

I kept mine together for a while. I don't think cannibalism is a real worry with this species. The only problem is they will stress each other out and thus effect eating. Overall I found it easiest to keep them seperate.


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## Asa

Same here. Although I completely kept them together until L5


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## Morpheus uk

Some new ones with my new camera woooooo!!!

Let my two have a run around on the bee infested lavender, expected one of them to catch a small honey bee, heard a massive buzz and turned around to c gutsy here eating a massive bumble bee, btw i actually like bees and handle them alot  











Sat on my door lol

Oh yeah the last ones my new camera, the first is just a photo with the old un i forgot


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## Djoul

I love, pictures with a good quality ! Thank you for that.


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## Poema86

thats the dream mantid of every mantis freak..

beautiful mate  

i realy want to keep them too,

first i want to succeed with my orchids and then there are some other species who i want to have and if im ready i get those


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## Ben.M

Brilliant pics Morph


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## Sparky

woah, i never seen this mantid before! :shock: Looks aggressive.


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## hibiscusmile

looks like the bee is a fur around its neck! Lovely, just lovely


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