# GLASS MANTIS! See food enter stomach (video)



## Precarious (Mar 19, 2011)

Sinomantis denticulata L3 and still clear!


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## Precarious (Mar 19, 2011)

Some cool light blue/green designs make it look like something out of Tron!































When it eats you can see the food travel through its body!


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## ismart (Mar 19, 2011)

Wow! Thats awesome! :blink:


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## Slinkytreekreeper (Mar 19, 2011)

Very cool mantids, they look seriously fun to photograph.


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## angelofdeathzz (Mar 19, 2011)

where the heck are you getting bees this time of year?

Very Cool Mantis,clear blood and tissue, very strange...


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## twolfe (Mar 19, 2011)

OMG! Amazing. I'd love to get one of those some day... Keep on taking photos and videos.


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## animalexplorer (Mar 19, 2011)

They are pretty neat looking mantids. Amazing you can see right through them. Great video demonstrating what food looks like moving through the thorax.


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## MantidLord (Mar 19, 2011)

AWESOME pics man. I love it. You can seriously do some studying on their systems with the "glass" one.


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## sporeworld (Mar 19, 2011)

FREEZE~!!!

How is this mantis species NOT in EVERY elementary school in America!!! At least the video!

This video, plus Yen's recent anatomy breakdown (and other stuff) need to be moved, copied or linked to our introduction section. This kind of video, plus some of your ooth hatches and molting are VERY educational, fascinating and a big draw for new hobbyists!


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## more_rayne (Mar 19, 2011)

OMG, must have this! Are all of them clear or did you get some mutant?


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## warpdrive (Mar 19, 2011)

All I can say is OMG!!!!

Harry


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## PhilinYuma (Mar 19, 2011)

Ha,ha, Precarious, the pix are great and the video is brilliant, BUT it caused me physical pain! I have argued here (G_d knows where), based on crude dissections, that the crop (foregut) of mantids is quite short (one of the reasons that they vomit so easily) and the the narrow proventriculum begins just before the distal end of the thorax instead of the abdomen, as is more common in insects, and now I was going to see it proven in living color! Down goes the food, past the first pair of legs, past the second pair -- it's got to stop now, and I'll have a drink to celebrate! Then, POW! the video ends! Please do a fragile old man a favor and keep on filming until the food comes to a stop and starts filling the foregut! Puhleese?  

(I had a drink anyway, but it was medicinal rather than celebratory).


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## Precarious (Mar 19, 2011)

angelofdeathzz said:


> where the heck are you getting bees this time of year?


No bee. That's a Hydei. The nymph is only about an inch long. I should have included a pic that shows size reference. Next time.  



more_rayne said:


> OMG, must have this! Are all of them clear or did you get some mutant?


I really don't know. I had 3 ooths. I didn't know they would need food smaller than fruit flies. By the time I got springtails they had gone cannibalistic. Once they had a taste for each other they wouldn't eat anything else. They all got eaten or died for some unknown reason. This is the only one remaining. Yeah, one nymph out of 3 ooths. Big fail for me. But, hey, I got this cool footage and stills!



PhilinYuma said:


> Please do a fragile old man a favor and keep on filming until the food comes to a stop and starts filling the foregut! Puhleese?


The rest of the video is on my pay-per-view site. You think everything is free???

But seriously, this was all captured pretty much by accident. I hadn't planned it at all. I didn't realized just how clear it was until I looked very closely as it ate. When I did I grabbed the cameras!

I will do a full-length video of it eating as soon as I get the chance. Do you want to see it pooping too? :lol:


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## Arwen9 (Mar 20, 2011)

So was all the nymphs clear like this, or just a few? (and for that matter, do they stay clear or do they darken as they age?)

I think they're pretty cool regardless. B) 

Liz


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## angelofdeathzz (Mar 20, 2011)

"G_d" may want him to have 2 drinks if you can film it pooping !!! :lol: 

Sorry Phil I had to say it...


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## Slinkytreekreeper (Mar 20, 2011)

Yes please  

From mouth to finish but sped up like your molt vids, totally educational of course, :lol: 

Sorry you didn't get more survivors though dude.

I tried some tropical woodlice as another option for tiny food but every mantis I gave one to took a bite, spat it out and dropped the rest. Pretty gutting after waiting months for the culture to take before actually trying to use them as feeders  

How are the springtails going down in the mantid mansion?


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## myzticalboi (Mar 20, 2011)

Precarious! Awesome job again! You always amaze me with your work!


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## Rick (Mar 20, 2011)

That last pic is great. Nice vid and interesting species.


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## MantidLord (Mar 20, 2011)

I would definitely want this species. But they can't take fruit flies at L1. I had trouble feeding springtails to L. minor nymphs and they all died  . So I'm cautious about similar sized mantis nymphs. I hope you get another one and can breed them.


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## Slinkytreekreeper (Mar 20, 2011)

Blimey, what's left then, aphids/midges?

I wonder what the Blue would look like under UV bulb, please say you have one, very cool B)


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## Precarious (Mar 20, 2011)

MantidLord said:


> I would definitely want this species. But they can't take fruit flies at L1. I had trouble feeding springtails to L. minor nymphs and they all died  . So I'm cautious about similar sized mantis nymphs. I hope you get another one and can breed them.


There is a method to making springtails available that I was unaware of at the time. I had never used or even seen them before so I just didn't know. From what I've read you create a moist substrate in your enclosure - moss or loose soil - and dump water from a sprintail culture in to seed a new culture. They will establish new generations directly in the substrate so long as you keep it moist and supply them with a few grains of rice to grow the mold they live on.

I did it completely wrong. I added a separate little container of water and charcoal which only served to keep them separate from the nymphs. If they had been mixed with the substrate they would have climbed the walls of the enclosure. They require pretty much 100% humidity so will keep to the moist substrate for the most part. Those who go exploring become food.

Anyone try this or have info to share on the subject?



Slinkytreekreeper said:


> I wonder what the Blue would look like under UV bulb, please say you have one, very cool B)


I thought it did at first but no fluorescence under black light. I was excited for a minute there.


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## JADzilla (Mar 21, 2011)

wow didnt know they had translucent mantids! man... i would love to try and sculpt that in plastic for a class assignment or something


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## JoraMajora (Mar 21, 2011)

Love this mantis so much!


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## xbonny (Mar 21, 2011)

Wow fantastic. Great job precarious and very nice pictures and videos  

PS: I will buy an ooteca if you mate them :lol:


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## Precarious (Mar 21, 2011)

Sporeworld said:


> FREEZE~!!!
> 
> How is this mantis species NOT in EVERY elementary school in America!!! At least the video!


I don't think anyone knew they were clear until I took this video and photos. It's not obvious. To the naked eye they appear frosty light blue, probably due to light refraction. It's only when you zoom in close it becomes apparent they are clear. I hope 'Glass Mantis' sticks as a common name. That would be sweet!

I'm going to do a much better video so stay tuned.


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## sporeworld (Mar 21, 2011)

Precarious said:


> I don't think anyone knew they were clear until I took this video and photos. It's not obvious. To the naked eye they appear frosty light blue, probably due to light refraction. It's only when you zoom in close it becomes apparent they are clear. I hope 'Glass Mantis' sticks as a common name. That would be sweet!
> 
> I'm going to do a much better video so stay tuned.


Dang it! Another reason to be jealous! You're gonna get to NAME a mantis! Yer just RUBBIN it in, now! ;-)


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## infinite213 (Mar 22, 2011)

Now that my friend is fracken awesome.


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## dgerndt (Mar 24, 2011)

OH MY GOODNESS!!! This is by far, THE COOLEST mantis I have EVER seen!!! WOW!!! I'm so glad you are an amazing photographer, so you could really capture the beauty of this exotic mantis!


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## MantidLord (Mar 25, 2011)

That is a better idea regarding the springtails. Especially considering I know what you're talking about with them climbing the glass (they climb the glass and jump right off). I had them separate and even though I was able to get a bunch in the container, the kept hiding (didn't have enough in there). I definitely plan on giving this species a go one day.


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## Precarious (Mar 25, 2011)

Deby said:


> OH MY GOODNESS!!! This is by far, THE COOLEST mantis I have EVER seen!!! WOW!!! I'm so glad you are an amazing photographer, so you could really capture the beauty of this exotic mantis!


Thanks, Deby. Don't forget to credit Yen for breeding and sharing this species.  

Anybody that would like to try these should watch the 'For Sale' section. Yen was selling L3 nymphs this week but they're all gone now. He'll have more soon so keep an eye out.


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## Slinkytreekreeper (Mar 26, 2011)

Is the second video close?

Please sir, I want some more


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## Precarious (Mar 26, 2011)

Slinkytreekreeper said:


> Is the second video close?
> 
> Please sir, I want some more


  I'm holding off a bit...

I just got my new camcorder today (Canon Vixia HF S200). It more than doubles the megapixels of the old one and the sensor is twice the size. Also has a better lens set, dynamic image stabilization, AND I'm investing in a good quality magnifying filter (multi-coated or achromatic elements). The old one was just glass which is why there were so many chromatic aberrations when zoomed in (all fuzzy, loss of contrast, diffusion of highlights). I'm waiting for the memory card and filter to get here. Should have them the middle of next week.

I think it will be worth the wait. :sorcerer: 

I also got 5 more nymphs from Yen just in case.


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## Mr.Mantid (Mar 26, 2011)

Precarious said:


> I don't think anyone knew they were clear until I took this video and photos. It's not obvious. To the naked eye they appear frosty light blue, probably due to light refraction. It's only when you zoom in close it becomes apparent they are clear. I hope 'Glass Mantis' sticks as a common name. That would be sweet!
> 
> I'm going to do a much better video so stay tuned.


Glass Mantis or TRON mantis.... FACT: The TRON Mantis is the only species of mantis that is able to create and ride a lightcycle. :lol:


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## Slinkytreekreeper (Mar 26, 2011)

Okay, i'll be patient.


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## dgerndt (Mar 26, 2011)

Precarious said:


> Thanks, Deby. Don't forget to credit Yen for breeding and sharing this species.
> 
> Anybody that would like to try these should watch the 'For Sale' section. Yen was selling L3 nymphs this week but they're all gone now. He'll have more soon so keep an eye out.


You're right! Thanks Yen for being amazing and somehow getting and breeding all sorts of super cool mantids!

I really wish I could buy some, but I'm broke. Still, I feel like it's our duty, as a mantis community, to breed these and make them a more common species. They would be great for education and just really cool pets!


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## bananaman (May 19, 2011)

Awesome picture and video! Very Cool. I have kept springtails for a few years, I use them for my dart frogs, and I created a post in the food/feeding section here at mantid forums if you are still curious about springtails.


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## Endorlado (May 22, 2011)

Beautiful


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## myles (May 22, 2011)

great stuff henry your pics just keep getting better


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## Ricardo (May 22, 2011)

Simply stunning. I must have one.

How big do they grow?


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