# Ghostie's Pics Thread



## Ghostie (Jul 19, 2010)

Ok instead of posting pictures all over in the wrong forums I'll just keep posting new pics here in this one thread. Will only be posting pics I feel are any good in here.

This was taken with a junky camera and some careful steady hands a day after the Orchid's molt.

She got huge! Will post more pics of my other mantids when I get any worth while.

Thanks for looking. Full size image might not be so hot though.


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## Ghostie (Jul 19, 2010)

Still kinda fuzzy picture.

I'll see if I can get the old DSLR to do any better one day.


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## Ghostie (Jul 20, 2010)

L2? Shield Mantis






Grooming


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## Mr.Mantid (Jul 20, 2010)

Very nice!! What Instar is yours at? My orchid is at L5 right now. Not sure On my creo, i think L3 or L4.


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## Ghostie (Jul 20, 2010)

I'm not positive to be exact. 3rd?

I don't even know how to tell. lol

I think the shields that was their first molt. Their head grew much larger. I still have much to learn.

I thought I had a pic of the little CreoGem but I guess not. I'll try again tomorrow and maybe with the tiny ghosts.


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## Ghostie (Jul 20, 2010)

Here's one of my Ghosts. Best guess is L3 or so.. but to be honest I have no idea. lol

This one is very hard for me to photograph. I will have to try again soon with the ghost.


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## Ghostie (Jul 20, 2010)

The Ghost mantis reminds me of Kokopelli when they bend forward and walk.

The Orchid mantis reminds me of a cat (eyes look like ears kinda) with funny legs/pants like the Disney character Alladin with those white baggy pants or something. haha

The Shields remind me of Dragonflies with their big heads.

The Creo is like one of those little striped crab looking spiders that sits on flowers.

They all have their own personalities. Little characters.


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## Ghostie (Jul 21, 2010)

Here's my Creo.

It just finished molting last night and got bigger.

Stretching before her pose.






Posing

"put your hands in the air"






My first Gongy's































It has freckles!


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## lancaster1313 (Jul 21, 2010)

Nice! I like photo threads.


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## ismart (Jul 22, 2010)

Very lovely photos!


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## Ghostie (Jul 22, 2010)

Thanks guys.

I'm sure lots of folks already posted pics of these species already.

Just kinda doing it for my own fun I guess. :lol: 

Hope you enjoy them.

Here's my mantis corner building up quickly. Dart frog tank on bottom.

Need another heat lamp for the other Violin. Prolly get that today!

I love these little net cages. Will have to order some more.

I was going to take a pic of my little Chinese but I think it's still molting or stuck, I can't tell. lol. I'm a newbie still. Maybe post some pics of my failed molt Dead Leaf later.

I actually gave away one Chinese, a ghost and a shield last night! With any luck we'll see pics of them later as adults.


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## Ghostie (Jul 23, 2010)

My two mismolts!

Had to happen at some point being a newbie mantid owner!

The little Chinese didn't make it because I had a piece of tape on the lid.

I gave my second Chinese mantis away and am now Chinese-less!  

Live and learn.











Also here is my Dead Leaf mantis.

I named her Sally because she fell apart like the girl in "Nightmare Before Christmas".

She still hangs from the roof and gets around! I gave her a cricket yesterday. She has antennae damage, two missing legs and missing "claw pointer leg" (I don't know what to call the leg that comes off the end of the claw).

I think I'll keep her alive since she did gobble down a whole cricket last night. She's useful if she's strong enough to do that. I have crickets running all around here. haha

I think you can see her pile of "cricket trimmings" in there somewhere.

I don't know if she is really a she, but Sally fit well.


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## lancaster1313 (Jul 23, 2010)

Sorry about your Chinese, the other mantid seems to be ok if it is eating. Hopefully it can hang properly for the next molt. I keep lame mantids and care for them as long as they will eat.


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## yeatzee (Jul 23, 2010)

whats your DSLR setup? Maybe I can help.


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## Ghostie (Jul 24, 2010)

I have a nikon D70s DSLR and the stock standard nikkor lens it came with. 80-200mm or 300mm I forget.

However I left it with my ex, and we all know how that can go. lol

So for now I am using my small Nikon coolpix s550 point and shoot camera. Just a basic nikon brick.

Although, it is 10MP and the DSLR is only 6 so I don't know how much better I will actually get besides being able to tune the perfect ISO and a hands of remote controlled image (no blur or shake).

What I really need to do is go purchase a new camera or a new lens or something.

Will be a while though.


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## yeatzee (Jul 24, 2010)

high megapixel count means nothing..... a 6mp DSLR will ALWAYS have better IQ than a 10mp point and shoot.


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## Ghostie (Jul 25, 2010)

I'll have to see if I can manage to get the DSLR back.

I woke up this morning and thought I had an extra Gongy appear out of thin air! Then when I woke up a tiny bit more and looked closer I forgot and realized he molted. A short newbie mantis owner heart attack later and I Was excited to see he grew. lol I thought one got into the other's cage or something. Such a newb!


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## lancaster1313 (Jul 25, 2010)

:lol: I once got a huge shock when my Carolina mantis molted and I didn't realize it. All my Chinese were small at L3 and the Carolina got huge overnight. I had just modified new containers for most of the mantids, and the larger Carolina mantis was in the same type of container as the others. I must have forgot that, and when I was looking at the containers, I saw these long banded legs in a container.  I was startled and actually let out a yelp, thinking that a huge spider somehow got in with a Chinese. I also must have frightened the Carolina, cause that was the best threat pose I have ever seen! :blush:


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## Ghostie (Jul 25, 2010)

lol I swear I did the same thing the other day. I was looking at my little tiny shields when I peered into the mismolted deal leaf mantis cup and saw huge legs moving and almost ran for the border. lol That was way creepy.


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## lancaster1313 (Jul 25, 2010)

Ghostie said:


> lol I swear I did the same thing the other day. I was looking at my little tiny shields when I peered into the mismolted deal leaf mantis cup and saw huge legs moving and almost ran for the border. lol That was way creepy.


 :lol: My skin was crawling for a good 30 minutes after I realized it was my beloved Manty.


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## Precarious (Jul 26, 2010)

Nice, man! Keep it going.

I'm a noob too, so it's good to see the progress (and mistakes) of others. Sounds like eveyone can expect a bad molt now and then.

I have:

5 violins

5 ghosts

2 gambians

6 Heterochaeta (occidentalis I think)

Only one bad molt so far (L5 violin) but I had to put it down today.  

I have some mantis vids posted here if you're interested:

http://www.youtube.com/user/precarious333#p/u

Thanks for sharing!


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## hibiscusmile (Jul 27, 2010)

Nightmare! haha, funny, I like sally!


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## Ghostie (Jul 27, 2010)

Oh no!

I think Sally is one of my only male mantids! lol it figures I had to name him Sally instead of jack! Oh well it's gonna stick! A male named Sally!

Well he/she seems to eat and hang no problem even being crippled by two legs.

Guess I'll wait and see how the next molt goes. Will be a good learning experience for me.

Here he is munching a fly he caught himself!


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## Ghostie (Jul 27, 2010)

Precarious said:


> Nice, man! Keep it going.
> 
> I'm a noob too, so it's good to see the progress (and mistakes) of others. Sounds like eveyone can expect a bad molt now and then.
> 
> ...


Hahaha dude I laughed for the whole violin snoop dog video. lol

Great work. That was funny to a Violin owner.


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## Ghostie (Jul 31, 2010)

My sister brought me over some new mantids last night!

I think these are the Mediterranean Mantis! Iris Oratoria?

Can anyone confirm? Thanks guys!

I received two of them that she caught in the wild. We are going to look for more to breed and then release back into my mother's garden where my sister found them!

One was quite a bit larger than the other! They are very active!

Here's the smaller one











..and the larger of the two!
















Have some more pics of my orchid to upload too when I get around to it.

Also I convinced my ex to let me have the DSLR back! I will get it soon! Then I will have to purchase a zoom lens.


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## Ghostie (Jul 31, 2010)

Ghost mantis eating a fly "on a steek!"

I think it's L4 now maybe.


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## MantidLord (Jul 31, 2010)

Those aren't Iris oratoria. Probably a stagmomantis sp. If they were I. oratoria, they'd have the orange dot on the abdomen, and the abdomen shape would be different. Great pics though.


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## Ghostie (Aug 1, 2010)

Interesting! I will have to look up what they are!

They have cool purple legs and I think a yellow-ish stripe going from their mandibles into their eyes sort of underneath.

Thanks, I forgot about that little orange dot on the Iris, I saw that last time I looked them up. You're right!

They are in fairly good condition too for being wild caught! I don't see any missing appendages. The larger of the two seems to be a female. I can't tell for sure to be honest on the really young ones just yet. Hard to clearly see the segments.

I may go look for more of them today and hope for a matching pair.

Would be cool to get some ooths and release more into the wild than I took.


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## Ghostie (Aug 1, 2010)

Hmmm, come to think of it they look a lot like the European Mantis.

He also has a yellow stripe going form his mandibles into his eyes and purple at the base of his legs..

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Mantid_August_2007-2.jpg/800px-Mantid_August_2007-2.jpg


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## MantidLord (Aug 1, 2010)

Lol, I don't think they're Europeans either. I'm almost 100% positive they're Stagmomantis. At this age, they should have the black/white eyespot inside their forearm. I don't see it in your pics. Hope you can catch some more. They seem cool. Actually, I've never caught mantids that had significant defects, unless they were old and dying. I guess out in the wild, even a missing leg can get them killed. Good luck.


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## Ghostie (Aug 4, 2010)

OK felt like an update today.

Have lots of larger mantis homes to build soon because everyone is getting bigger fast!

Gongy molt. I know not to get scared when I see this now. haha











Had a scare with a gongy today.  I've affectionately come to know them as "gongylins". Gongylus gongylodes and volin stuck together.

I let a fairly large male out to play on my bed while cleaning and putting some mantids away and he went into the last place I would have thought he would! lol. A little tiny hole for a support pipe on my sleeping cot. :helpsmilie: 

There is the hole he went in even before I pulled the bar out!






If you look close you can see his little gongy head in there lol sneaky one!






I had to pull the bar out of the loop and by this time Mr Gongy had gone all the way through to the other side thank goodness! Lol he popped his head out the other side and did the patented gongy dance and I just about fell over laughing. Funniest thing I ever seen a bug do in my life scare the heck out of me and come out playing peekaboo gongy! :clap: 

So glad he didn't get squished in the bed!











Pics of my shield giving me a high five.


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## Ghostie (Aug 4, 2010)

The Acromantis Magna from Yen. They're calming down tonight from a rough trip. They are very cool! I will make then a new larger home tomorrow with a split in the middle.































Pictures of my Creo from Mantis Place. Getting bigger! Two sheds since in my care. Never stinks! Always smells clean even with a dirty cage. Cleaned it's cage and added a new flower with which it blends in well.


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## Ghostie (Aug 8, 2010)

S'more photos. Hehe.

First my "Orchie" from Rebecca came out to stretch and clean.






Then she had a few choice words to say to me. She's a loudmouth you know!






Then I got her to focus just long enough for two poses. Her "get the camera outta my face" pose






and her "I'm sad he's gonna put me away now" pose. "sniff sniff".






My little Shields are getting huge and eating houseflies already. Here's one giving me "the eye"






Here is the limbata that snatched a fly that happened to land on my thumb the other day. Couldn't have been more perfect. I have video of him eating it too for later when I make music to add to it. lol


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## Ghostie (Aug 8, 2010)

One of my Chinese from Peter a day before it molted.






Cute lil fellows!






Some poor quality shots of two new ghosties. More on them later after I get to making my new ghost house.











Here is the other one. One of them is green. I really like the ghosts!











One of my Limbata eating a cricket. He barfed it up the next day but I cleaned his cage and now he's eating flies and no more barf. I think he simply over ate and got sick?






Part of "the fly experiment". More on that later..


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## Ghostie (Aug 11, 2010)

Here goes some more pics.

This was my Idolos when I received them. Four live and one crumpled up dead.. along with a bunch of fruit fly parts. No worries! Put them into cups and got them well hydrated.






Here they were drinking off the napkins






Brought home a bunch of sticks from my mom's and chopped them up and put them in the cups to help the lil guys grip.






Made some screen lids. They grip these well.


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## Ghostie (Aug 11, 2010)

Now for my Adventures in Mating Yen's Magnas hehe

Chasing each other around the mirror after a crawl around the bathroom sink






praying he doesn't get eaten.











They mounted but no mate. Too young I guess, the male kept trying to eat the females claws after he mounted even though I fed him well. I think female is receptive though..






My second try they are more calm with me and only went on the toilet paper roll this time. =P






.. and played ring around the rosey.






They both seem to know what is natural!






They mounted again but no mating and ended in ball or wings and legs haha. Had to separate them. I will wait another week or two and try again.


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## Ghostie (Aug 11, 2010)

Keep the pictures coming full speed.

I believe this is a sub adult Stagmomantis Limbata but I'm a newbie and could be wrong!

Either way it is a very docile and fun mantis! It loves me! haha

I love it too!

One of my favorites caught in my families back yard!

Feel free to enlarge some of these pictures, the closeups came out nice.






I'm ready for my cluseup!






click picture to enlarge






I love how she sways her claws around and "plays" with me.






She is big! I think about 3"


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## Precarious (Aug 12, 2010)

Nice clear pics!

Good to see your Idolos. I keep mine together.


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## LauraMG (Aug 12, 2010)

That looks like stagmomantis sp. to me! I've got a male carolina that's almost an adult, but he's got black spots in his "armpits" and on his claws that you can see when he throws up his defensive pose. Very nice pictures! Don't know why I hadn't seen your thread before....


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## Ghostie (Aug 12, 2010)

Couple of bad pictures..

First of Idolo and second one of my ghosts is getting too big for it's deli cup with a fresh molt!

I think I will put the Idolos together after another molt or so. They seem a little frail now and want them to strengthen up some.


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## Ghostie (Aug 13, 2010)

Well lost another Idolo last night. I think this one never quite recovered from shipping. The other three I have left look to be nice and strong so far. May have to try and order a couple more for backup.

RIP little buddy











Also think two of my ghosts are now subadult female. May have to trade them off in classifieds section of the site.
















One last set..

Acromantis Magna female "having a drink" and taking a little walk for exercise.

Taking a brake from the male for a while longer. hehe


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## eur0pein (Aug 13, 2010)

nice pics


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## LauraMG (Aug 13, 2010)

Great pics of your ghost! They're such a cool looking breed! Sorry about your idolo. I hope the rest make it!


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## Precarious (Aug 13, 2010)

That's pretty little Ghost you've got there.  

Too bad about the Idolo.


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## angelofdeathzz (Aug 16, 2010)

very nice pics Ghostie! good luck to you.


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## Ghostie (Aug 19, 2010)

Here's one of my Idolos made it to L2. Lost another Idolo L1 yesterday too! :blink: 

He eating flyballs. Fly eyeballs. :lol:


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## Precarious (Aug 19, 2010)

Nice! One of mine just molted. This is what I have to look forward to! Woo-hoo!


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## Ghostie (Aug 19, 2010)

Aren't they sexy! haha

My second one I have left made it to L2 last night also! They look great!


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## LauraMG (Aug 19, 2010)

Those purple markings are stunning! I'm jealous of you guys!


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## Ghostie (Aug 19, 2010)

They're droppin' like flies! Lol don't be too jealous! That might be the last pic I get of one.

We will be lucky if we have a pair to breed between the two of us. :blink: :lol:


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## eur0pein (Aug 19, 2010)

nice colors Idolos


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## Ghostie (Aug 24, 2010)

Woot! Mr Gongy molting to sub adult when I woke up!

Looks like he is going to make it! He regrew a leg too! Niiiice. You can see the molt only hanging by three legs! lol Can't believe he actually takes up half the cube worth of space to molt! Dang he's huge now!

Check it out my first fruit fly cultures already have maggots in less than a week! No more paying $10 for a jar of FF's!
















Haha never thought I would be so happy to see maggots! Ewww!


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## Ghostie (Aug 24, 2010)

Honey time!

Gave all my mantids honey last night for the first time. Each and every one of them! Only one chinese didn't want any honey at all!

Here's some pics.

Yen's Creo Neb






Ghostie from Peter. Look at that huge head crown!






Limbata 1






Chinese 1






Frey's Idolos


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## Ghostie (Aug 24, 2010)

Limbata 2











Chinese 2






My shields from Rebecca are turning pink!











Thank you!


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## Precarious (Aug 24, 2010)

Cool! I've tried to give mine honey and they never showed any interest. I'll have to try again.

Glad to see your violins are doing well. Another of my ghosts molted to adult female yesterday.


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## LauraMG (Aug 24, 2010)

Zorak (my Chinese) always tries to eat the toothpick when I give her honey! :lol: I have to blow on her so she'll let it loose! Great pics though! Did you get your good camera back?


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## Ghostie (Aug 24, 2010)

No she still needs the good camera for selling houses.

Not until I find another camera for her.

I'm still using my Nikon S550 point and shoot. Just doing some careful editing!

Check out some of those mandibles. :wub: 

Honey is a great way to get mandible shots.


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## Ghostie (Sep 5, 2010)

Quick update

Fresh adult female Stagmomantis Limbata





















Adult Female Ghost











Adult Male Ghost











My wooden cages have occupants






"The corner"


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## angelofdeathzz (Sep 5, 2010)

your Idolo's are gorgeous, I mean stunning ,totally wicked, beautiful, and anything else you can think of.


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## Ghostie (Sep 5, 2010)

L4 Idolo pics coming soon. Also need more pics of my gongy cage. One of them molted black the other day.


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## LauraMG (Sep 5, 2010)

Ah! I love your ghost pictures!


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## Ghostie (Sep 6, 2010)

Sanks Laura!

I added some sticks to my home made cubes in such a way as to where they stay in by themselves even if you pick the cube up and move it around. Seems to look and work pretty good. We don't need no stinkin' doors. Still running open bottom.

If you look close enough there is a ghost mantis in the top cube visible.

And the chinese in the bottom cube just shed right off the side wall mid day.







Also thought this shot was funny.

I released all of my Limbatas today as the one I thought was male was not.

See ya next year lil dudettes.


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## Ghostie (Sep 15, 2010)

Sorry I don't come on here much to listen to absolutely unnecessary bickering anymore and have to work a lot now Thank goodness but here's an update.

This one's for all the haters.






Limbata






First Adult Chinese


























L3 Idolos still I'm fairly certain.


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## LauraMG (Sep 15, 2010)

Your idolos are looking good! Good to see you around


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## Ghostie (Sep 16, 2010)

Indeed they are. Nice and healthy and fat.

L3 Idolo threat pose anyone?


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## LauraMG (Sep 16, 2010)

BREATH TAKING! That's un-f***ing-believable!


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## Precarious (Sep 16, 2010)

Nice shot!


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## Ghostie (Sep 16, 2010)

Thanks guys.

That shot is titled "Me no hungy"


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## LauraMG (Sep 16, 2010)

Ghostie said:


> That shot is titled "Me no hungy"


Perfect


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## Ghostie (Sep 16, 2010)

An idolo made it to L4 last night. A black Idolo now. Like my black gongy.






Also,

Here is what happens when you use honey for your flies. They all die in 3 days.

Use water crystals and fly food from Mantisplace to make 50 flies live in a tiny deli cup for two weeks. lol

All dead flies from honey. No bueno






They step in the honey and track it everywhere and they all die. No bueno.






Use water crystals and fly food from mantisplace and guess what? They outlive the flies with honey. =P






Also,

Had to slip these in. 2 fast 4 u.


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## Precarious (Sep 16, 2010)

WOW! L4 looks awesome! Something to look forward to...


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## Ghostie (Sep 16, 2010)

mmm forgot one..


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## Ghostie (Sep 20, 2010)

Aight G money here's pics from cage cleaning time.

Angry Female Chinese






"I'm going to eat your brains!"
















Ghosties =)


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## LauraMG (Sep 20, 2010)

She looks like she's ready to bite your head off!


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## LauraMG (Sep 20, 2010)

She looks like she's about to bite your head off!


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## Ghostie (Sep 20, 2010)

She is not shy about clawing me hands to death either. :blink: She's a meanie!

Her boyfriend hasn't molted yet


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## LauraMG (Sep 20, 2010)

Ghostie said:


> She is not shy about clawing me hands to death either. :blink: She's a meanie!
> 
> Her boyfriend hasn't molted yet


That's how I'm feeling about Orchie! She's a molt behind what I thought she was! She sure is fun though


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## Precarious (Sep 20, 2010)

She looks like she needs a hug. :mellow: 

2 of my Idolos are now L4! Woohoo!

You have an adult male Ghost? I wish mine would molt already. He's taking his good old time. :angry:


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## Ghostie (Sep 23, 2010)

Yes I actually lost the adult male last night but found him again in my planter. lol

The female has already laid an ooth. I am not positive if it is fertilized or not.

Rick says if you didn't see it, it didn't happen. Makes sense to me.

I have to try to mate them but have been working my butt off and going out every night to boot. :blink: 

I left them together once for a while already and thats when I lost the male because I forgot while playing halo. I did find him again so no worries.

Soon hopefully. Maybe tomorrow if I get a night off. :lol: 

Edit:

I'd like to add the fact that Ghost mantids are much harder to mate than Yen's Acromantis Magna were.


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## Precarious (Sep 23, 2010)

Ghostie said:


> I'd like to add the fact that Ghost mantids are much harder to mate than Yen's Acromantis Magna were.


I put my 2 females and 1 male on a plant in my room. They stayed on the plant and hooked up by themselves. I didn't witness full connection so I don't know if my ooths are fertile either, but one has laid 5 including one right now. The other female is holding off. If they are fertile I will have to sell a truckload of nymphs!

Anyway, they all hung out together for a week or two until the male got chomped. Now I'm waiting for this sub-adult to molt along with another female.

The Gambians have been mating regularly and she's laid 2 ooth so far. From what I read she may produce as many as 20! Hopefully people will want some nymphs. They are a fun species. Very easy to care for and full of spunk.

I received 4 new species yesterday including these monsters!

Plistospilota guineensis

Scroll down for pics:

http://www.bugnation.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=208&amp;t=4251&amp;start=175


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## Ghostie (Sep 23, 2010)

Sweet those look huge!

If I have any luck I will witness these two in the act shortly..

Here's some mantis porn. =P


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## Precarious (Sep 23, 2010)

I saw that pretty regularly but no connection. Hope you have better luck.

Just recorded another successful Idolo molt to L3.  So now two at L4, two at L3 and one remaining L2 (the runt).


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