# X-FILES: my small mantis collection.



## mantid_mike (Jul 13, 2012)




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## sueb4653 (Jul 13, 2012)

wow


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## frogparty (Jul 13, 2012)

Excellent pics. Love the white backdrop


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## mantid_mike (Jul 13, 2012)

frogparty said:


> Excellent pics. Love the white backdrop


Thanks! It was just a mini studio set-up using a sheet of paper from my printer lol


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## agent A (Jul 13, 2012)

Lemme guess

Deroplatys lobata

Blepharopsis mendica

Creobroter pictipennis

Stagmomantis limbata

Popa spurca

Rhombodera stali

Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii

Hymenopus coronatus

Phyllocrania paradoxa


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## mantid_mike (Jul 13, 2012)

agent A said:


> Lemme guess
> 
> Deroplatys lobata
> 
> ...


yep, looks about right. i wasn't sure about the stagmomantis. i found him in Orange County and been thinking it was a stagmomantis californica.


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## agent A (Jul 13, 2012)

mantid_mike said:


> yep, looks about right. i wasn't sure about the stagmomantis. i found him in Orange County and been thinking it was a stagmomantis californica.


Oh I think u r right

The black dots inside the forelegs indicate californica, limbata don't have those...


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## jimpaunik (Jul 16, 2012)

nice collection


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## mantid_mike (Aug 18, 2012)

Male adult Californica:






Sub-adult female pictipennis and adult male pictipennis:






Idolo Nymphs (L3):


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## Mvalenz (Aug 18, 2012)

Nice collection. I like the white backdrop also.


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## mantid_mike (Sep 2, 2012)

Thought I'd do an update with my current mantids:


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## brancsikia339 (Sep 2, 2012)

Where's the p. davisoni?


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## mantid_mike (Sep 2, 2012)

brancsikia339 said:


> Where's the p. davisoni?


I want them to molt and get a little bigger. I don't have the greatest lens for tiny subjects :blush:


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## agent A (Sep 2, 2012)

The stagmo is deffo californica


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## mantid_mike (Sep 2, 2012)

agent A said:


> The stagmo is deffo californica


Any possibility that californica's can be parthenogenic?


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## gripen (Sep 2, 2012)

No


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## mantid_mike (Oct 10, 2012)

My creo female is so fat, never refusing food that comes her way. She's about to lay her 5th ooth today or tomorrow:


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## Mime454 (Oct 10, 2012)

What is the one underneath the Popa spurca in the OP. I love the colors!


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## mantid_mike (Oct 10, 2012)

Mime454 said:


> What is the one underneath the Popa spurca in the OP. I love the colors!


Are you talking about the first set of pics? That's an ornamental branch that I bought in the flower district here in downtown.


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## Mime454 (Oct 10, 2012)

mantid_mike said:


> Are you talking about the first set of pics? That's an ornamental branch that I bought in the flower district here in downtown.


I mean the mantis in the next photo. ;0


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## Webeviction (Oct 10, 2012)

Great pics! Thanks for sharing


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## fleurdejoo (Oct 10, 2012)

Love these! Really enjoyed them.


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## kotomi (Oct 11, 2012)

Oh man, your creo lady looks like she's about to pop! 5 ooths is pretty awesome...


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## Reptiliatus (Oct 12, 2012)

Lovely collection!


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## mantid_mike (Oct 12, 2012)

Webeviction said:


> Great pics! Thanks for sharing





fleurdejoo said:


> Love these! Really enjoyed them.





Reptiliatus said:


> Lovely collection!


Thanks!!


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## mantid_mike (Oct 12, 2012)

kotomi said:


> Oh man, your creo lady looks like she's about to pop! 5 ooths is pretty awesome...


It's strange, she looks ready to pop and refusing food today but yet she has not laid an ooth. I thought she'd lay it a couple days ago..


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## hopefoot (Oct 13, 2012)

Thanks for the white sheet of paper idea. Now to get my big girl to sit still on a white sheet of paper. And get the lighting right.


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## slytle90 (Oct 13, 2012)

awww I love all your babies. They look great!


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## Crazy4mantis (Oct 13, 2012)

That is The CUTEST lobata!


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## Crazy4mantis (Oct 13, 2012)

I mean the first lobata in the 3rd set of pics.

Love the eyes!


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## mantid_mike (Oct 13, 2012)

hopefoot said:


> Thanks for the white sheet of paper idea. Now to get my big girl to sit still on a white sheet of paper. And get the lighting right.


hahah np!


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## mantid_mike (Oct 13, 2012)

slytle90 said:


> awww I love all your babies. They look great!





Crazy4mantis said:


> That is The CUTEST lobata!





Crazy4mantis said:


> I mean the first lobata in the 3rd set of pics.
> 
> Love the eyes!


Thanks!!! B) Lobata nymphs are so chill. They kinda mellow down once they molt to adult.


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## Mime454 (Oct 14, 2012)

mantid_mike said:


> Thanks!!! B) Lobata nymphs are so chill. They kinda mellow down once they molt to adult.


I swear that my lobatas are stoned. Why won't they share!?


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## mantid_mike (Oct 19, 2012)

Mime454 said:


> I swear that my lobatas are stoned. Why won't they share!?


stingy cannibals...


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## mantid_mike (Oct 19, 2012)

One of my subadult female ghosts molted to adult last night. Her wings kinda look like a cigar:







And here's my two Idolos, one of them molted to subadult a couple days ago:


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## hierodula (Oct 19, 2012)

Nice pics  Is the stick for decoration or is it because the idolos cant grip the kritter keeper?


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## mantid_mike (Oct 19, 2012)

hierodula said:


> Nice pics  Is the stick for decoration or is it because the idolos cant grip the kritter keeper?


thanks. it's mainly for support to aid them in molting. they can grip the lid of the kritter keeper, but not the sides. I had to glue some mesh on them.


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## mantid_mike (Oct 19, 2012)

Here's a couple more shots of a subadult Rhombodera Stalli that I received from Agent A:


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## mantid_mike (Nov 7, 2012)

My deroplatys dessicata male molted to adult this morning. He's huge!:


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## mantid_mike (Nov 7, 2012)

Messing around at work I made this geometric toy mantis (rendering):


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## aNisip (Nov 7, 2012)

Is it a physical work, or computer animation?

Nice mantids btw!  Love that dessicata male and do you have a male for that sub adult rhombo girl?


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## mantid_mike (Nov 7, 2012)

AndrewNisip said:


> Is it a physical work, or computer animation?
> 
> Nice mantids btw!  Love that dessicata male and do you have a male for that sub adult rhombo girl?


I just drew it up on a 3D design program and rendered it.

I have one adult Rhombo male that's been waiting for about 2 months and one sub-adult that should be molting in a few days. I'd really like to get these guys mated.


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## aNisip (Nov 7, 2012)

Its a neat design and cute! The new picture for your name will take me awhile to get used to though  ....I hope you get them mated, such an awesome specie!  

All the best,

Andrew


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## mantid_mike (Nov 8, 2012)

Here's my two idolos once again...they are taking FOREVER to molt. One is smaller than the other. I don't know if it's because it's a molt behind, or maybe different sex. Maybe you guys can help me sex them because I've been thinking that they're both males:

Idolo 1 (the smaller one):











and Idolo 2:


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## agent A (Nov 8, 2012)

1 is male 2 is female


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## mantid_mike (Nov 8, 2012)

agent A said:


> 1 is male 2 is female


Thanks, Alex. I hope they make it to adult!!


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