# Heteropteryxiyxyxixi Dilatata



## TanteEdgar (Feb 8, 2010)

I'm going to buy some new bugs from Germany soon and want to know: does anyone have any experience with the Dilatata? I know just about what I need to know but I don't think they would mind if I knew how to make it extra comfy for them...

What did you guys do and what conditions do they like best? I'm going to use a 120l aquarium as terrarium so space shouldn't be a problem.

Any hints and tips is appreciated


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## Peter Clausen (Feb 8, 2010)

regular mistings

room temps or better

ivy and bramble and a few other plants are accepted

low lighting

pot of soil for oviposition

Heteropteryx dilatata (Jungle Nymph) Photos


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## TanteEdgar (Feb 8, 2010)

Thanks, it was actually useful


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## Radek (Feb 8, 2010)

The most dangerous moment in breeding Heteropteryx dilatata is female's last moulting. They moult vertically upside down, linked with the branch only with the last pair of legs. it look like that




. So monstrously big insects needs peace and a lot of free space to manage final muolting, or they will fall down and die or fail it other way like breaking in many points. So You must provide them terrarium at least 45 cm height with lot of free space and better if there will be no other insects. It is the most important. If They will moult succesfully, you will have very beautiful insects



If not, You will have only this, sad looking disabled insects.


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## leptomeson (Feb 8, 2010)

In fact these are nocturnal animals. If you have lot of food plants you do not see them during day and they practically do not move. And now take flashlight with red filter and observe a bit what they are doing in dark - you will be suprising how active are they!

What is most annoying is long long long wait until hatch of next generation.


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## TanteEdgar (Feb 8, 2010)

Thanks, this is good to know. I just got an idea... This is maybe a bit off topic but it's not worth making a new thread since it's basically a yes or no question:

I really love the Idolomantis Diabolica but they die if they are fed with crickets. How about small fish? I could feed them with fish and fruit until spring when the files and other flying sh*t appears outside. I feed my Bob (Hierodula) with fruit all the time when I forget to buy crickets and he loves it. Especially grapes, they are filled with that sweet nectar thing.

Anyone knows about giving mantids sea food? I'm thinking about Tetra or some other not salt water fish.


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## TanteEdgar (Feb 9, 2010)

Well, back to the Dilatata's. What sort of food do you guys feed them? I mean what do they seem to like best? I want them to have a good time so they can breed and give me the yellow ones


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## Peter Clausen (Feb 10, 2010)

Good luck on getting any yellow ones, especially if your source does not have yellow ones consistently in their captive population. The only yellow one I've ever had was from a zoo in the US that consistently produced yellow ones (pictured on my site). I never hatched out any of the ova that this individual produced, for reasons I cannot remember now.

I feed mine ivy, bayberry and bramble. It is not necessary for me to offer them additional plants, though I could.

I don't personally think a 12-18 months is a deterrent with this species. It's one of my favorite parts of their life cycle because it means I get to take a year off from picking plants! :lol:


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## TanteEdgar (Feb 10, 2010)

Heh... How much height do you have in your terra? Just so I know what they need to do that last molting.


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## Ricky Ortiz (Feb 10, 2010)

Mantid Man said:


> Well, back to the Dilatata's. What sort of food do you guys feed them? I mean what do they seem to like best? I want them to have a good time so they can breed and give me the yellow ones


Well the book Ghosts of the trees says they do well on customary phasimid food plants but do great on wandering jew, English ivy, and pothos, and from what else I've read they seem like a preety cool species I may look into getting some as well teh wait time is a bit long though 8-20 months lol. I have some Extatosoma tiaratum, and Phyllium sp. ova that I'm waitin on to hatch


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## leptomeson (Feb 11, 2010)

They eat a lot of plants - in fact I think that if you will feed them with "regular trees" they will eat half of them. Preferred can be oak but they will eat beech, linden, raspberry etc. Really many trees and shrubs.

During summer - no problem. During winter what is green is bramble, they love Eucalyptus as well. However they eat a lot so for me the only "applicable" feed is bramble because I need save my guave, eukalyptus, Schinus molle for rare phasmids those are food specialists. What is important that food needs to be nutritional, green, not "burned" due frost.

Btw, I have yellow ones but simple do not know if it is genetics or just variety. I have now stored eggs from yellow female separately, I will see what will hatch. The problem - still about a year until they will hatch. What I can say for sure is that they turn yellow just when athey are dult. Even subadult are still green, may be with mini yellowish spots, but when it is nymph they are normal green.


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## JoeCapricorn (Feb 13, 2010)

How available are these creatures in the United States? Back before I even got mantises, I tried getting some, but I held back due to their food requirements and my comparative inexperience with them.


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## Peter Clausen (Feb 16, 2010)

They're around, but the people that have them are reluctant to exchange material because this is a regulated species. Another factor limiting their availability is that females don't lay nearly as many ova as some of the other species in the hobby. That and they take over a year to hatch and keepers don't want to get rid of any of their eggs in case there are hatching issues and only a handful come out. That and some people don't have the patience for a 3 year life cycle and never keep them a second generation.


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## PhilinYuma (Feb 16, 2010)

Ricky Ortiz said:


> *Well the book Ghosts of the trees says they do well on customary phasimid food plants* but do great on wandering jew, English ivy, and pothos, and from what else I've read they seem like a preety cool species I may look into getting some as well teh wait time is a bit long though 8-20 months lol. I have some Extatosoma tiaratum, and Phyllium sp. ova that I'm waitin on to hatch


So _Ghosts of the Trees_ is a book on rearing walking sticks and leaf insects? I saw a pic of it on Amazon, but with no discussion, and two used volumes were listed at about $60 each. Is it out of print? If not, do you know where we can get new copies and for how much? Also, do you know anything about the author/s? [[straight-face GIF]]


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## Peter Clausen (Feb 17, 2010)

Didn't I send you a free copy with one of your other shipments, Phil? I've got some very-slightly worn copies lying around if anybody wants to pay for Priority Shipping at $5.50 (US only on that). LOL...sixty bucks! Those must be the autographed copies


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