# Orchid female eats (photos & video)



## Precarious (Aug 7, 2011)

Her first meal after pre-sub or sub molt...


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## patrickfraser (Aug 7, 2011)

Like a pretty little princess, all in pink. I LOVE it


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## Merc (Aug 8, 2011)

LOVE the video! Absolutely fantastic.


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## angelofdeathzz (Aug 8, 2011)

Great stuff as always, these are quickly becoming one of my favorite species, so much so I think a breeding attempt is in order in my top secret bug lab(area 51.5), thanks to a friend who trusts my mantis green thumb.


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## Idolofreak (Aug 8, 2011)

Cool! I was helping out at the zoo a couple months back and Entomo-logic got three adult females and an adult male. Luckily one of the other keepers found a Luna moth in the hatching room that had a bad hatch (It came out deformed and with only two wing "buds" instead of four wings), so we gave that to one of the females as a distraction and let the male in her cage. I came back a couple weeks later and they had mated and the female laid a big fertile ooth. The moth was so huge it probably took the female all night to finish it, so the male had plenty of time to mount.


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## fercho ing (Aug 8, 2011)

A beautiful mantis of my favorite ones :lol: :lol:


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## Mex_Ghost (Aug 8, 2011)

nice girl, how old are your males?


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## Precarious (Aug 8, 2011)

Mexxico Ghost said:


> nice girl, how old are your males?


I'm not sure exactly what instar any of them are because they were at different stages when I received them, but it appears the females are well ahead of the males in molts. I've been heating the females and giving them lots of flies. Both sexes have wing buds so I believe they are all either pre or sub right now. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Would really love to get footage and pics of those little red nymphs hatching!


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## Mex_Ghost (Aug 8, 2011)

I can imagine your pics an vids, I hope you are lucky enough to film some hatches.


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## RevWillie (Aug 8, 2011)

Fantastic, amazing photos as always, the mega-macro of eating the fly - yowza!

I hope to get some similar when my orchids get bigger and I get better at shooting them.


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## Precarious (Aug 8, 2011)

RevWillie said:


> Fantastic, amazing photos as always, the mega-macro of eating the fly - yowza!
> 
> I hope to get some similar when my orchids get bigger and I get better at shooting them.


Thanks! Very little cropping, if any, in those "mega-macros". You'll see, once your add-ons arrive.


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## ImTheBugFreak (Aug 9, 2011)

WoW very awesome pics videos and mantids I love your art! You are an inspiration to everyone!


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## guapoalto049 (Aug 9, 2011)

Great photos as always man. Check out that femoral brush in the third photo-its like a toothbrush for her face


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## Precarious (Aug 9, 2011)

Bio51Hazard said:


> WoW very awesome pics videos and mantids I love your art! You are an inspiration to everyone!


Thanks, man. You guys are trying to give me a big head, but I won't allow it.  

I took a series of a new Indonesian Rhombodera species yesterday that I think is my best work so far. Watch for it. Very beautiful species.



guapoalto049 said:


> Great photos as always man. Check out that femoral brush in the third photo-its like a toothbrush for her face


Yeah, I've been meaning to ask if anyone knows the purpose of those bristles. I see them on both sexes. I'm wondering if they are actually for grooming. That is approximately the portion of their claw that makes contact when they groom. Very interesting.


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## lancaster1313 (Aug 10, 2011)

Precarious said:


> Thanks, man. You guys are trying to give me a big head, but I won't allow it.
> 
> I took a series of a new Indonesian Rhombodera species yesterday that I think is my best work so far. Watch for it. Very beautiful species.
> 
> Yeah, I've been meaning to ask if anyone knows the purpose of those bristles. I see them on both sexes. I'm wondering if they are actually for grooming. That is approximately the portion of their claw that makes contact when they groom. Very interesting.


I have noticed that my Heirodula multispinas have brushes too.  When the light hits them, they glow like reflectors! I don't know the purpose of them, but Perhaps all mantids have them? I have noticed that my mantids like to mouth that part of thier forelegs before rubbung it over thier faces. I never gave it any thought until it was mentioned in this topic.


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## Idolofreak (Aug 10, 2011)

guapoalto049 said:


> Great photos as always man. Check out that femoral brush in the third photo-its like a toothbrush for her face


Cool! I just noticed the little brush cluster on her arm. Interesting. I wonder if it IS for grooming.


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## Precarious (Aug 10, 2011)

likebugs said:


> I have noticed that my Heirodula multispinas have brushes too.  When the light hits them, they glow like reflectors! I don't know the purpose of them, but Perhaps all mantids have them? I have noticed that my mantids like to mouth that part of thier forelegs before rubbung it over thier faces. I never gave it any thought until it was mentioned in this topic.


Yup, I meant to say "I see them on both sexes of all species". I've been noticing them whenever I take photos. I'd be willing to bet it's all about grooming. Pretty cool. They have built in scrub brushes.


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## dragon (Aug 11, 2011)

Some truly magnificent shots! What are you shooting with?


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## Precarious (Aug 11, 2011)

dragons_maelstrom said:


> Some truly magnificent shots! What are you shooting with?


Thanks! I'm using a Canon T2i with EF100mm macro lens. It only goes as close as 1:1 so I use two additional high quality diopter filters; the Canon 250 D Closeup Lens and the Opteka 10x Macro. In addition to those I sometimes use 65mm of extension tubes. I'm not sure where all of that puts the magnification but I'd guess close to 3:1. Most importantly I have the Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX flash which is a fantastic unit made specifically for macro. That's the real key - good lighting.


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## Ryan.M (Aug 12, 2011)

Gorgeous pics! (How many times have I said that to you precarious??  )

I also love your soundtracks, each one is unique and they fit your vids sooooo well.

Cheers bud


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## Termite48 (Aug 13, 2011)

Henry: This is one of the best so far. It is partly so interesting to me because I also have some Hymenopus at this stage with them in communal situation till tomorrow. So the first adult molt was last night, a young stud and his two girl friends (one pure white and one with the pink ruffles) are awaiting their wing buds. I do need to apply the heat to the girls. The comb-like spurs appear to be for cleaning and perhaps also somewhat defensive. Mama taught my sisters to always leave something on your plate and to eat all the roughage. Your gal in the vid left one wing, but polished off the legs that a lot of mantids discard. Great work as usual man, you are an awesome artist!


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## Precarious (Aug 14, 2011)

Rich S said:


> Henry: This is one of the best so far. It is partly so interesting to me because I also have some Hymenopus at this stage with them in communal situation till tomorrow. So the first adult molt was last night, a young stud and his two girl friends (one pure white and one with the pink ruffles) are awaiting their wing buds. I do need to apply the heat to the girls. The comb-like spurs appear to be for cleaning and perhaps also somewhat defensive. Mama taught my sisters to always leave something on your plate and to eat all the roughage. Your gal in the vid left one wing, but polished off the legs that a lot of mantids discard. Great work as usual man, you are an awesome artist!


Thanks for all the positive feedback.  

Wow, that's pretty risky keeping them together. The females are very aggressive.

Don't forget the females molt a total of 7 times, the males only 5. Your male will be dead long before the females become adult. That's why you have to slow them down and speed the females up.  

If I were you I'd place an ad to see if anyone has females ready to go because the males don't last long. Then see if anyone has males once your females are ready.


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## Termite48 (Aug 14, 2011)

I was not aware that the males are that short-lived. I can do as you say and see if there is anyone needing a ready to go male. Then when the two gals are adult, I can procure the right aged male. Thanks for the tip.

Rich


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## Precarious (Aug 14, 2011)

Rich S said:


> I was not aware that the males are that short-lived. I can do as you say and see if there is anyone needing a ready to go male. Then when the two gals are adult, I can procure the right aged male. Thanks for the tip.
> 
> Rich


Yeah, don't let him go to waste. We need to get multiple cultures going. Stud him and get an ooth or two for your trouble. I have 2 males that may be in time with your females. We'll see how it plays out.


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## lancaster1313 (Aug 14, 2011)

Precarious said:


> Yup, I meant to say "I see them on both sexes of all species". I've been noticing them whenever I take photos. I'd be willing to bet it's all about grooming. Pretty cool. They have built in scrub brushes.


Very cool indeed, I am wondering why I have never heard or read about them before. :mellow: 

I was curious about the mantid's brushes, and if other insects have them, and so far I have seen them on my roaches as well! My Blaberus mutts have them and so do my Gromphadorhinas!

Does anyone know if these grooming brushes have been documented in any books or articles?

For my own curiosity, I will be checking the forelegs of some insects that aren't Dictyoptera.

To answer my own question:

A quick google search led me to a document about Mosquito grooming, and they have combs on fore and rear legs. :lol:


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## Precarious (Aug 14, 2011)

likebugs said:


> Very cool indeed, I am wondering why I have never heard or read about them before. :mellow:
> 
> I was curious about the mantid's brushes, and if other insects have them, and so far I have seen them on my roaches as well! My Blaberus mutts have them and so do my Gromphadorhinas!
> 
> Does anyone know if these grooming brushes have been documented in any books or articles?


I'm not up on the scientific end of things. I just kind of stumbled onto this but observation seems to confirm they are indeed bristles specifically for grooming. At first I thought maybe they had something to do with breeding because some insects have special hooks and claws just for hanging on while mating. But when I saw them on both sexes that blew that theory. I've since got to watch how they use them and it's pretty ingenious. I always wondered how rubbing a smooth carapace over their eyes could clean or collect water. Now we know how it works.


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## lancaster1313 (Aug 14, 2011)

Precarious said:


> I'm not up on the scientific end of things. I just kind of stumbled onto this but observation seems to confirm they are indeed bristles specifically for grooming. At first I thought maybe they had something to do with breeding because some insects have special hooks and claws just for hanging on while mating. But when I saw them on both sexes that blew that theory. I've since got to watch how they use them and it's pretty ingenious. I always wondered how rubbing a smooth carapace over their eyes could clean or collect water. Now we know how it works.


Thanks to your great and revealing photos and videos, I have another cool insect fact for the kids.  I plan on doing another "bug show and tell" for my daughter's kindergarten class this school year. The one we did for her Pre-K class must have been cool because the staff asked me to do it for 2 other classes! This time around, I will have way more information to get them thinking about, before they are too old to appreciate "bugs".


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## Precarious (Aug 14, 2011)

likebugs said:


> Thanks to your great and revealing photos and videos, I have another cool insect fact for the kids.  I plan on doing another "bug show and tell" for my daughter's kindergarten class this school year. The one we did for her Pre-K class must have been cool because the staff asked me to do it for 2 other classes! This time around, I will have way more information to get them thinking about, before they are too old to appreciate "bugs".


That's awesome! Feel free to print out any of my photos you may find useful.


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## lancaster1313 (Aug 15, 2011)

Precarious said:


> That's awesome! Feel free to print out any of my photos you may find useful.


Thanks! That is a great idea, and we would be honored to use your photos in our presentation!


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## guapoalto049 (Aug 16, 2011)

Precarious said:


> Yup, I meant to say "I see them on both sexes of all species". I've been noticing them whenever I take photos. I'd be willing to bet it's all about grooming. Pretty cool. They have built in scrub brushes.


You bet! As I mentioned its like a little toothbrush for their faces.

Edit: Just saw that you answered your own question


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## Precarious (Aug 16, 2011)

guapoalto049 said:


> Edit: Just saw that you answered your own question


I talk to myself a lot.  

No I don't! :no: 

Yes I do. inch:


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