# Katnapper's Picture of Today



## Katnapper

Adult female _Rhombodera sp._ (Feb. 2009)


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## Opivy

beautiful picture! I have one of these =) can't wait till it get's big and colorful like that.


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## Rick

Nice pic. Don't recall mine ever having the red color on the wings.


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## hibiscusmile

Was she painting her toenails? :lol:


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## Vlodek

I think that your Rhombodera sp. was a little bit shy during the photo session and instead of being red of her face she got red on her abdomen


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## Katnapper

Hehe, thanks for the comments everyone! She was really colorful when expanding her wings like that, and I just had to take some pics. She's been residing in the freezer now for several months (along with one of her sisters)... just as great looking as the day she died.


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## ismart

She's been residing in the freezer now for several months (along with one of her sisters)... just as great looking as the day she died.   

:lol: Your son must be so traumatized by now! :lol: I can picture him reaching for a pop sickle and... :lol:


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## Katnapper

ismart said:


> She's been residing in the freezer now for several months (along with one of her sisters)... just as great looking as the day she died.   :lol: Your son must be so traumatized by now! :lol: I can picture him reaching for a pop sickle and... :lol:


 :lol: He's stopped asking me to take them out, as he now realizes it's likely not going to happen, lol. I moved them to the top shelf a while back... and after looking in there for something, he came and in a concerned voice asked, "Mom, where'd you put the mantids?" He had to know, I guess... so he'd be prepared. He was probably hoping I'd taken them out... :lol: No such luck for him!


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## Opivy

wait, is it dead in that picture?


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## Katnapper

Opivy said:


> wait, is it dead in that picture?


No... she was alive and well in this picture.


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## Katnapper

Poor Brandi... she was scared of a mealworm.  But such a beautiful girl. :wub: 

_Phyllovates chlorophaea_ adult female (Brandi - June 2009)


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## Pelle

Cool pic


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## Katnapper

_Hymenopus coronatus _sub-adult female (July 2009)






Close-up of her wing buds (July 2009)


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## The_Asa

Love the wings!


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## Katnapper

_Tenodera sinensis_ nymph (January 2009)


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## ismart

So cute!


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## f.wattiez

Hello,

Superb photographs! Congratulations!

Bests regards, François!


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## Katnapper

Thank you for the nice comments!


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## planetq

Katnapper said:


> Poor Brandi... she was scared of a mealworm.  But such a beautiful girl. :wub:


Haha I noticed that P.chlorophaeas are a bit of a fraidy-cat. haha. It adds to their charm I guess.

They can be so timid sometimes always looking right at you. It's pretty cute.

Minkyu


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## Katnapper

Thought I'd add a current pic of me... taken this past week by my Mom. She lives in Springfield, IL, and I went down to visit her and we went to the State Fair together that day... just me and her. It was nice... no screaming kids (none of ours anyway!), and no time constraints or agenda. The fair was the same-old, same-old, and not really that interesting. But I loved the quality time with Mom all day!  

It was hot... I had my hair up.


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## ismart

Thats really cool.  I really need to give my mom a call and let her know i'm still alive!


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## MantidLord

ismart said:


> Thats really cool.  I really need to give my mom a call and let her know i'm still alive!


Ahahaha :lol:


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## Katnapper

ismart said:


> Thats really cool.  I really need to give my mom a call and let her know i'm still alive!


Yes, now's a good time for everyone to call their moms and touch base.  You're exempt, Phil.


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## superfreak

i have those same flowers all over my fence  and you look nice


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## Katnapper

superfreak said:


> i have those same flowers all over my fence  and you look nice


Thanks, Olga!!


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## Katnapper

An adult female _Creobroter nebulosa_ devouring her unfortunate mate. (May 2009)


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## spicey

Katnapper said:


> An adult female _Creobroter nebulosa_ devouring her unfortunate mate. (May 2009)


She sure is pretty! And he was handsome too from what I can tell by what's left of him...


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## Katnapper

_Phyllocrania paradoxa_ adult male (Superman!) (February 2009)


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## ismart

Very nice pics!


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## Katnapper

Another one of Superman....

_Phyllocrania paradoxa_ adult male (February 2009)


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## PhilinYuma

You are entering a bunch of these in the calendar contest, I trust?


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## Pelle

Very cool!


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## Katnapper

_Blepharopsis mendica _adult male (March 2009)


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## Katnapper

_Phyllovates chlorophaea _mating couple (March 2009)


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## ABbuggin

Cool pics.


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## leviatan

Katnapper said:


> _Phyllovates chlorophaea _mating couple (March 2009)


How big they are in adult??


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## Katnapper

leviatan said:


> How big they are in adult??


I've never measured exactly, but I'd say they are in between a medium to large size mantis.


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## Katnapper

Some ooth laying photos...

_Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii _laying ooth (September 2009)

These turn dark brown when finished hardening.






_Rhombodera sp_. laying ooth (February 2009)






Close-up of previous pic (February 2009)


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## agent A

ismart said:


> I really need to give my mom a call and let her know i'm still alive!


my sister's friend did that once! silly girls


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## Katnapper

_Tenodera sinensis _L1/2 nymph (December 2008)


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## superfreak

cutie!


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## Katnapper

superfreak said:


> cutie!


Thanks, Olga... I really like that one myself!


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## Katnapper

_Statilia parva _L1 nymph (December 2008)


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## PhilinYuma

leviatan said:


> How big they [Phyllovates chlorophea] are in adult??


I just measured an adult female at 6cm (23/8").


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## ABbuggin

I like the L1 chinese pic.


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## cat_named_noodles

Love the photos!!!! Keep em coming!


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## Katnapper

Series of pics today...

_Cilnia humeralis_ adult male (May 2009)


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## revmdn

Great photos.


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## ismart

Absolutley awsome pic's! Wide-arms are my favorite species! :wub:


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## Katnapper

ismart said:


> Oh, katt! Your getting your pic's mixed up.  That there is a lovely male _cilinia humeralis_.


Ooops!!!  :huh: :mellow: Good eye, Paul! Now that I look.... you're right! Egads.... and I just had to come downstairs, turn on my computer room light and get my reading glasses out just to read the instructions on the back of an ant bait package (I've developed an ant problem in my bug room... grrrrr!!!! :angry: ). Anyways, I'll blame it on my eyes......   

Thank you so much for catching it! I'll edit it right now!


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## charleyandbecky

I love the close up pic...he looks so wise, like Rafiki in The Lion King!

Rebecca


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## Katnapper

_Tenodera sinensis _molting (January 2009)


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## revmdn

Cool.


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## Katnapper

_Phyllocrania paradoxa_ adult female (September 2009)


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## agent A

Katnapper said:


> _Phyllocrania paradoxa_ adult female (September 2009)


nice pics! show me more! did you see my pics?


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## revmdn

Purdy.


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## sbugir

Nice ghosts, what are those small stems with the nerds like (candy  )/pebble round things on it? It compliments the color of the ghost very nicely.


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## Katnapper

lemmiwinks said:


> Nice ghosts, what are those small stems with the nerds like (candy  )/pebble round things on it? It compliments the color of the ghost very nicely.


Thank you! The stems are just one of those little flower or grasses groups on a stem that you can buy anywhere that sells silk flowers. This one was a Fall type grass thingy I thought was pretty. I have no earthly idea what plant it is supposed to be (or if there really is one it resembles).


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## sbugir

Oh okay, well it looks nice and it suits the ghost lol.


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## AmandaLynn

Great photos! I really like the first pic of the molting T. sinensis, it looks so pretty and graceful.


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## Katnapper

Butterfly at my brother's farm.  (September 2009)







PS... More butterfly pics newly added in blog.


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## Katnapper

The golf cart I use to go back about a mile behind my brother's farm house where there is good mantis hunting ground! (August 2009)






Edit: PS... More pics of my brother's place in new blog entry.


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## Katnapper

Some more for today...

_Brunneria borealis_ adult female (July 2009)






Close-up of face






Look at the cute little tiny wings!


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## bassist

Gorgeous.


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## Katnapper

bassist said:


> Gorgeous.


Thanks, Tommy!


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## PhilinYuma

What does the male look like?


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## Katnapper

Some different colors of _Phyllocrania paradoxa_...

_Phyllocrania paradoxa_ adult female (April 2009)






_Phyllocrania paradoxa_ males (April 2009)

Look... we're not mantids, we're leaves!!!  











Look at my handsome headgear!






_Phyllocrania paradoxa_ sub-adult female (April 2009)

I'm a green girlie!


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## Katnapper

PhilinYuma said:


> What does the male look like?


Nobody knows, Phil, as none have ever been recorded or seen. They are all female and reproduce by parthenogenesis (basically cloning themselves). But I'm sure you knew all that.


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## revmdn

Love those ghost photos.


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## Katnapper

revmdn said:


> Love those ghost photos.


Thanks, Martin!


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## yen_saw

Kat, your photo is getting better and better everyday too  Do you use tripod for your close-up shot?


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## Katnapper

yen_saw said:


> Kat, your photo is getting better and better everyday too  Do you use tripod for your close-up shot?


Yen, my tripod sits folded up in the corner of the bug room. I find it too unweildy to use for the most part. Plus, my bug room is so crowded and messy most times, with cages and miscellaneous all over the floor (in addition to on the shelves) that I don't even have room to use it in there. When I tried using it a while back, it seemed that the mantids would move and it was hard to take pics using the tripod.

I've jumped into keeping [what I thought was _Idolomantis diabolica _] but is really _Gongylus gongylodes... _here is a shot for today. (more in my blog)


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## bassist

That's a _Gongylus _nymph kat lol.


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## Katnapper

bassist said:


> That's a _Gongylus _nymph kat lol.


Ya, ya.... so everyone is now telling me, lol!  When I bought the ooths they were supposed to be Idolo ooths. I even specifically wrote back upon receiving them and questioned the species, as I'd never seen pics of Idolo ooths like that. But I think it was an innocent mistake in shipping. And as for me... an innocent mistake, as I've never had or kept either, lol. Now I know.... lol..... B) :lol:


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## Katnapper

Here are two (unfortunately) deceased adult male _Rhombodera sp_. - (July 2009)


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## Rick

PhilinYuma said:


> What does the male look like?


There are none. Sarcasm?

Where did you get the tan brunners? Only ever saw that once before.


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## Katnapper

Rick said:


> Where did you get the tan brunners? Only ever saw that once before.


Hatched and raised from the ooth I bought from you.  :lol:


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## Rick

Katnapper said:


> Hatched and raised from the ooth I bought from you.  :lol:


Cool. The tan seems uncommon in the wild.


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## Katnapper

I have a fake tree in the bug room that I call the "flower tree," because I also have bunches of artificial flowers stuck into it here and there and around in the base. I had a mis-molted adult female _Tenodera sinensis_ living in it for a while whom I would hand feed. She eventually laid two fertile ooths in the tree, and both ended up hatching out loose in the bug room. Here are pics of one of them that I caught hatching.






Close-up of previous pic...


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## ismart

I love catching them in the process of hatching! Great pic's!


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## MantidLord

Great pics, and good luck finding the rest of them.


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## Katnapper

MantidLord said:


> Great pics, and good luck finding the rest of them.


Thanks!

But right now I have a batch of _Heirodula membranacea _hatched out in the bug room. I captured all I could...  :huh: :lol: now I just shoo them out of the way and try not to step on anybody!


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## Katnapper

Old Mr. _B. mendica_

_Blepharopsis mendica_ adult male - (June 2009)


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## revmdn

Wonderful pics Becky. I've always want to raise this species.


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## sbugir

Wow, the B. mendica is gorgeous. I've never seen any for sale in the US. Nice pics.


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## kamakiri

Great pics Rebecca, please keep sharing and posting your blog updates!


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## Katnapper

Thank you all for the nice comments and encouragement!


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## Katnapper

My first Orchid ooth hatched (thanks Cosmic!) and here is one of the little boogers...  

_Hymenopus coronatus _L1 (October 2009)






Close-up






It's amazing how much color change they go through from L1 to adult!


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## revmdn

That's it?! I want to see more.


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## Katnapper

revmdn said:


> That's it?! I want to see more.


Always one in the crowd! Greedy! LOL   

Just for you, Martin.... I'll see what I can do.


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## revmdn

Woo hoo! :lol:


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## PhilinYuma

revmdn said:


> Woo hoo! :lol:


I'll see your woo and raise you another hoo!


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## charleyandbecky

Lovely little orchie.

Rebecca


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## sbugir

It really amuses me how you call nymphs boogers  , nice orchids.


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## Katnapper

You guys... lol! Got busy and couldn't get back to this until today.

Here's one of the little boogers who has just molted to L2! (More in my blog on the molting).


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## kamakiri

More, more, more!  :lol:


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## Emile.Wilson

kamakiri said:


> More, more, more!  :lol:


LEAVE KATNAPPER ALONE, SHES A HUMAN!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHmvkRoEowc


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## Katnapper

Emile said:


> LEAVE KATNAPPER ALONE, SHES A HUMAN!!!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHmvkRoEowc


Oh my, Emile... how do you find these crazy videos?  hehe  

Here's one for today....  2 _Cilnia humeralis_ females being coned. Yes, I tried the coning idea with ordinary white paper... and it did not work very well in my estimation. I put 2 couples together in one net cage, with both females coned overnight. In the morning, I found one male was eaten despite the cones; and one of the females had injuries from the rubbing of her cone on her thorax/abdomen. She ended up dying from her injuries. I was excited about the proposition and outcome of the cone experiment. But to me it will be an experiment I won't repeat. Even with the perils of sexual cannibalism, I've decided the old fashioned way is still best.  

_Cilnia humeralis_ coned females (July 2009)


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## DeadInTheBasement

this is the first i have ever heard/saw this idea(not been on the forum much until lately)

very...interesting...even if it didnt work out to well


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## revmdn

Great pics, as usual. Sorry the cone thing didn't work, but it's hilarious. Have to chuckle at that one. You so crazy girl!


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## Katnapper

Here are a couple of _Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii_ girlie threat poses.

_Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii,_ Adult females (August 2009)


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## revmdn

Very cool. They do get scared easy, don't they?


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## Katnapper

revmdn said:


> Very cool. They do get scared easy, don't they?


Yes, I'd say they have attitude.  Some more than others, hehe.


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## Katnapper

On the subject of _Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii,_ here's a couple baby pics.  

_Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii,_ L1 (August 2009)


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## revmdn

Very cool. Are these the new ones?


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## Katnapper

revmdn said:


> Very cool. Are these the new ones?


I have some new ones, but these were babies (L1) in August.  Guess I forgot to add the date to the pics like I was doing. Will have to fix that! Thanks for reminding me.


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## Rick

I really like those last few.


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## Anleoflippy

Really loved you Pictures


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## Katnapper

And speaking of cute little baby mantids... here's an unfortunate little guy who had his back walking legs stuck together after he exited the ooth. I performed the necessary surgery with tweezers and a needle, but he was weak and only lived 2 days.


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## revmdn




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## Emile.Wilson

Katnapper said:


> Oh my, Emile... how do you find these crazy videos?  hehe


I could do far worse  . Which would make most scream, and make Deadinthebasement have a big smile.


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## DeadInTheBasement

you know it Emile &lt;3 :lol:


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## Katnapper

Adult female _Stagmomantis carolina_ (October 2009)


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## Mantibama

The wings on your female S. carolina are an exquisite pattern. I really enjoy all your photos though!!!!


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## kamakiri

Yeah, nice pattern on that carolina!


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## RNW

amazing picture!!!


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## Rick

Interesting colors on her. I don't recall seeing a female with the greenish legs. These really seem to vary based on region.


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## Katnapper

Thank you, everyone!  

Here is a better pic of her wing pattern. I think it's pretty cool too. It almost seems to have an aqua tint in the green portions of the camoflaged pattern on the overwings, and a more true greenish hue in the pattern on the underwings. (Click for full size to see difference in hues better).


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## revmdn

Very nice.


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## ismart

That is a very beautifly colored mantis!


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## Katnapper

A few more of her...

_Stagmomantis carolina_ adult female (September 2009)







Close-up of wing pattern






I like this grooming pic.... it kind of reminds me of a ballet dancer.


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## Katnapper

Thought I'd post some more pics of my trip down to my brother's house and visiting family in August.  

Here's a baby deer whose mother was killed. My brother took it home and is raising it. It broke its leg trying to jump over the fenced enclosure one day; but it's all healed now (and in a bigger enclosure in the barn).











Here's Max, their three-legged dog. He got hit by a vehicle on the road and the vet said they usually euthenize a big dog like that because their legs can't support the heavy weight very well. But my brother insisted they just amputate, and Max gets along well enough. He's still an intimidating watch dog if you don't know him!






Here's my brother's family living room. Can you tell he (and the whole family) are all about deer? He does a lot of bow hunting, and they rarely buy meat from the grocery store and eat venison year-round. My brother is also a taxidermist and did the full mount on top of the T.V. himself. Bev, his wife, made the camo curtains.  






Here's a butterfly I captured while out mantis hunting at his place.






And here's my Grandma and me. :wub:


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## sbugir

Nice pics  , is Max, a bull mastiff? Or English mastiff?

Oh forgot to add, Your grandma is smokin  , Phil you've got some competition. (joke)


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## Katnapper

lemmiwinks said:


> Nice pics  , is Max, a bull mastiff? Or English mastiff?


Ummm.... I'm not really sure.


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## Emile.Wilson

BAMBI!


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## PhilinYuma

Cool pix as always, Katt! So how big will they let Bambi grow before they eat her?

I'm just about certain that he's a bull mastiff. Old English mastiffs are humongous and have a higher forehead. Did he have a mantis tattoo on his missing leg?


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## sbugir

Christ Phil, you are terrible.


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## Katnapper

PhilinYuma said:


> Cool pix as always, Katt! So how big will they let Bambi grow before they eat her?I'm just about certain that he's a bull mastiff. Old English mastiffs are humongous and have a higher forehead. Did he have a mantis tattoo on his missing leg?


My brother has become attached to the fawn, and won't shoot her. He's going to tie a cloth or scarf around her neck when she gets large enough to roam free, so he and others will know she's a pet and not game.


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## wero626

Beautiful pictures your grama looks like a sweetheart great pics Katnapper =]


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## ABbuggin

Great pics. Doesn't venison taste good? It has a pretty good taste considering how lean it is.

Oh, BTW, the butterfly is a Painted Lady, AKA Gongylus' favorite food.


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## Rick

That has got to be the first full mount of a deer I have ever seen.


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## revmdn

Rick said:


> That has got to be the first full mount of a deer I have ever seen.


On top of the tv even.


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## Katnapper

_Hierodula membranacea_ adult female pink morph (June 2009)


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## keri

GORGEOUS pics!!! Thanks for sharing!! The mantids are by far the stars but somehow I keep turning back to the Deer that watches you while you watch TV lol


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## Katnapper

Keri said:


> GORGEOUS pics!!! Thanks for sharing!! The mantids are by far the stars but somehow I keep turning back to the Deer that watches you while you watch TV lol


Thanks, Keri!  

More _Hierodula membranacea_ pics...

An older nymph making a meal out of a mis-molted _Rhombodera sp._ nymph


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## revmdn

Always fun to look at. Thanks for sharing.


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## Katnapper

Adult male _Parasphendale agrionina_. I think this pic is sweet of him peeking out. :wub: Look at those crazy eyeballs, hehe. ^_^ (April 2009)


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## Rick

THey do have interesting eyes. I am keeping some for the second time ever. My first batch a few years ago died out early for some reason. They have some interesting colors for sure.


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## sbugir

Great pic Kat. My males are due to molt to adulthood any day now. I'm surprised they haven't yet, I got them late Aug/early September.


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## revmdn

Great pic Becky.


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## Katnapper

Thank you for the compliments on him.  Here's one of his offspring I just took some shots of yesterday.

_Parasphendale agrionina _adult male (December 2009)


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## Katnapper

And while on the subject of _Parasphendale agrionina_ (Budwing Mantis), here is a female, her laying an ooth, and the finished product.  

_Parasphendale agrionina _adult female (May 2009)






Laying an ooth (May 2009)






_Parasphendale agrionina _ooth (May 2009)


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## sufistic

Katnapper said:


> And while on the subject of _Parasphendale agrionina_ (Budwing Mantis), here is a female, her laying an ooth, and the finished product.  _Parasphendale agrionina _adult female (May 2009)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Laying an ooth (May 2009)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Parasphendale agrionina _ooth (May 2009)


Wonderful photos. I really need to get a macro lens.


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## Katnapper

_Statilia parva_ L1 nymph (December 2008)






Statilia parva adult male (February 2009)


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## cloud jaguar

cool pics !


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## yen_saw

Very nice pics Becky. Love the budwing in the net cage pics. Focusing mantis inside the net cage is pretty tedious using auto mode you did great! and what a huge ooth!


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## Katnapper

Thanks Roland and Yen!  

Here's one entitled: "I'm not a mantis... I'm a stick!!"

_Tenodera sinensis_ nymph (January 2009)


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## beckyl92

what do you use to put a copyright sign and your name in the corner? great pics by the way


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## Katnapper

BeckyL said:


> what do you use to put a copyright sign and your name in the corner? great pics by the way


Thanks, Becky.  

Using the text tool in PSP (Paint Shop Pro), I created my signature; then converted the image to a picture tube, which I can add at the click of one button on a separate layer, and can also resize to match if cropping image. Because I made the tube white, it can also be color adjusted, as well as transparency.


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## revmdn

Another great round of photos Becky.


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## ismart

Great photo's Becky! That budwing females ooth is almost as big as she is! :blink:


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## [email protected]

I think you should tske a few photos of the barks(something i could never do!!  ).


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## Katnapper

Chase said:


> I think you should tske a few photos of the barks(something i could never do!!  ).


I only have one nymph right now (waiting on the ooth to hatch). But he's so lightning fast, tiny, and skittish... :huh: I haven't dared try to take him out of his little cup yet to photograph. Afraid I'll lose him for sure!  

Picture of today is my first _Gongylus gongylodes _that molted to adult! More about it and pics in my blog.  

_Gonglyus gongylodes_ adult female (December 2009)


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## revmdn

Purdy. Can't wait for mine to grow up.


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## wero626

Nice pics..


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## ismart

Fantastic becky!  She looks great!


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## Katnapper

One from the "not so successful" vault... a male _Rhombodera sp._who mismolted to adult. (July 2009)


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## revmdn

Bummer.


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## ismart

Poor guy  He's kinda looking rhomboderaish to me?


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## Katnapper

ismart said:


> Poor guy  He's kinda looking rhomboderaish to me?


Good spot, Paul! (and nice new word you made  ). I got to looking, and I'd clearly labeled the pic "Mis-molted adult male _Rhombodera sp._" photo, but had somehow put it in my _Cilnia humeralis_ folder in my Photobucket. I was just searching through old pics last night to do a quick post for Photo of the Day, and didn't even notice it. Thank you!! Now I'm moving him to his rightful species folder and make the correction/edit above.  I think this is the second time I've mislabeled a species without catching the error.  Good thing I have you all to keep me straight! Thanks again, Paul!!  

I also just moved this companion photo of him in which you can see his shield better. Proof he for sure is a _Rhombodera sp._


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## Katnapper

Unfortunately adding to the mis-molt annals, my first male _Gongylus gongylodes_ mis-molted to adult last night. He's on his back again at the bottom of the cage, and will most certainly not make it. More info and pics in my blog.

Mis-molted to adult male _Gongylus gongylodes_ (December 2009)


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## [email protected]

That stinks.... hope you have a few more.


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## Katnapper

On a happier note...

Adult male _Phyllocrania paradoxa _(February 2009)


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## Emile.Wilson

Nice pictures of the phyllocrania male, I had my subadult molt last night.


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## revmdn

Becky, another great set.


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## Katnapper

Thanks, Martin!  

Todays pic is of a group of newborn hatchlings loose in the bug room. They decided the top of the metal sieve was a good place to check out. :lol: 

_Hierodula membranacea_ newborn nymph (December 2009)


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## [email protected]

Cool, but am i crazy or did that picture change? :blink:


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## Katnapper

Chase said:


> Cool, but am i crazy or did that picture change? :blink:


Change to what? :huh: :lol: I didn't change it once I posted it.


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## [email protected]

Then i am crazy.... i thought it was a picture of a mantis moltin.


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## ZoeRipper

Awesome, as usual Katt!


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## revmdn

They're so fun at that size. Very cool.


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## [email protected]

Ha-ha-ha figured it out!! i saw the other picture in your blog preview!!! :lol:


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## Katnapper

New pics of _Omomantis zebrata_

Second _Omomantis zebrata_ male to molt to adult (December 2009)






Sub-adult _Omomantis zebrata_ female (December 2009)






More in my blog... including the first 2 females mismolting to adult.


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## revmdn

Sweet.


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## PhilinYuma

Boring, boring! Really great pix followed by even greater pix! Where's the fun in that?


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## Katnapper

:lol: Thanks!


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## Katnapper

Sub-adult female _Phyllovates chlorophaea_ with younger instar nymph (December 2009). More in my blog.


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## Emile.Wilson

Omg, Phyllovates is so gorgeous, my nymphs are L2-L3 right now


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## Katnapper

Same sub-adult female _Phyllovates chlorophaea _as in the last pic... with a different lighting effect.


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## sbugir

Very cool. It almost looks completely natural, as if you captured the mantid in the moonlight.


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## hierodula

Really cool pics!


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## revmdn

Love the photos, really cool getting to learn about these guys, thanks to you.


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## Chien_Ming Lee

Katnapper said:


> Sub-adult female _Phyllovates chlorophaea_ with younger instar nymph (December 2009). More in my blog.


I love this one.


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## Katnapper

Thank you all!  

Yes, Chien, I really like that one too. :wub: 

Todays pic is a recent one included in the update of the _Rhombodera sp_. in my blog.

_Rhombodera sp_. sub-adult female (December 2009)


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## Guy'n'Jane

Really beautiful photo's. Just out of interest, why are you keeping her in the freezer, will you be doing something with her?


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## Katnapper

Guy said:


> Really beautiful photo's. Just out of interest, why are you keeping her in the freezer, will you be doing something with her?


Thanks for the compliment on the photos.  I'm only keeping one mantid in the freezer now, one of the very first adult _Rhombodera sp._ females that I aquired. I'm really not sure why I'm still keeping her in there. I like to take her out and look at her from time to time; and I guess she reminds me of my first attempts at breeding mantids.

At first, when I put her (and one of her sisters) in there, I thought I might disect one of them if I could gather up the courage. But then I gave one of them to the daughter of a friend for her school bug collection. And I don't think I can ever disect a mantis. Some of the remaining one's legs have now broken off (due to moving her around in her plastic baggie to get to the waffles and T.V. dinners  ), and she wouldn't be good for pinning. I'm really not interested in pinning a collection anyways. I guess it's just a sentimental thing.  :wub:


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## Katnapper

_Omomantis zebrata_ #3 who molted perfectly to adult just a few days ago.  

_Omomantis zebrata_ adult female (January 2010)


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## revmdn

Great pics Becky.


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## Guy'n'Jane

Ahhh, we understand fully. Our first ever mantid (Alan, the female sphodromantis viridis) will be meeting her boyfriend (Barry) tomorrow and hopefully making music with him and not eating him. However, we know she won't be with us forever and will feel very much the same.


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## Katnapper

Update on the _Gongys_ today in my blog.  Preview pic...

_Gongylus gongylodes_ adult female (December 2009)


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## Rick

All very good pics.


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## [email protected]

Is that snow in the background?? lol


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## yeatzee

Love the silhouette


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## Katnapper

Thanks, Rick and Tanner!  



Chase said:


> Is that snow in the background?? lol


No, it's just sunlight coming through my bug room window.


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## revmdn

Nice pic.


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## ismart

That really is a cool silhouette!


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## Chien_Ming Lee

Katnapper said:


> Update on the _Gongys_ today in my blog.  Preview pic..._Gongylus gongylodes_ adult female (December 2009)


A beautiful lady!


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## Katnapper

Thank you all!  

_Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii_ nymph (December 2009)






_Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii_ mating pair (December 2009)


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## ZoeRipper

Amazing, as always.

Would expect nothing less from you


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## agent A

Katnapper said:


> _Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii_ mating pair (December 2009)


they aren't mating! did the yeventually connect though?


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## revmdn

Nice.


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## Katnapper

ZoeRipper said:


> Amazing, as always. Would expect nothing less from you


No pressure.... :huh:







agent A said:


> they aren't mating! did the yeventually connect though?


I don't know. They've been living in the same net cage together for about a month now, and I see him riding her occasionally. Have never witnessed penetration, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened when I wasn't around. Will have to wait and see.



revmdn said:


> Nice.


Thanks, Martin. As always, you're so supportive.


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## agent A

Katnapper said:


> I don't know. They've been living in the same net cage together for about a month now, and I see him riding her occasionally. Have never witnessed penetration, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened when I wasn't around. Will have to wait and see.


are these easy to breed? Like Creobroter? Creobroter are too easy, male is very quick and willing to get to business. I put Misha and Micake together, 1 minute later, they're connected. But Micake rejected the spermetaphore and ate it. Then 4 days later Mohammed came into play and now I have babies. (Micake died of constipation a while back)


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## Katnapper

agent A said:


> are these easy to breed? Like Creobroter? Creobroter are too easy, male is very quick and willing to get to business. I put Misha and Micake together, 1 minute later, they're connected. But Micake rejected the spermetaphore and ate it. Then 4 days later Mohammed came into play and now I have babies. (Micake died of constipation a while back)


I've had good luck with them so far. But cannibalism is a constant threat in spite of the large net cage and plenty of food.


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## agent A

Katnapper said:


> I've had good luck with them so far. But cannibalism is a constant threat in spite of the large net cage and plenty of food.


are u talking about Creobroter? you saw my missing male thing in my blog? I found him. go to my blog cause I have pictures of a male molting to L4.


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## Katnapper

agent A said:


> are u talking about Creobroter? you saw my missing male thing in my blog? I found him. go to my blog cause I have pictures of a male molting to L4.


No. I was talking about the subject of the previous posts in this thread... _Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii_.


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## agent A

Katnapper said:


> No. I was talking about the subject of the previous posts in this thread... _Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii_.


oh, okay. but regardless, please see my blog, I go to yours everyday.


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## Katnapper

Sub-adult female _Hierodula membranacea_ that has grown up free-ranging from an unenclosed ooth that hatched in the bug room.


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## revmdn

Is that pink? The eyes are. Very pretty.


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## Katnapper

revmdn said:


> Is that pink? The eyes are. Very pretty.


Brown/tan with pink eyes.


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## Katnapper

_Cilnia humeralis_ female nymph primping, hehe... (January 2009). I love her pose in this one... reminds me of a ballet dancer for some reason. ^_^


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## ismart

Very nice!  I miss my wide-arms.


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## agent A

I'm still shocked Kat found her E. pictipies nymph loose and alive in the bugroom with all the hierodula running around


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## PhilinYuma

agent A said:


> I'm still shocked Kat found her E. pictipies nymph loose and alive in the bugroom with all the hierodula running around


Good point, Alex, and maybe it was just luck, but I suspect that, unlike flies, say, mantids will avoid any insect that is too large to be prey. Mantids tend to spread out, partly for this reason (another reason is that if they group too closely together, they will be obliged to share a relatively small amount of food).


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## revmdn

That stretching motion.


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## Katnapper

agent A said:


> I'm still shocked Kat found her E. pictipies nymph loose and alive in the bugroom with all the hierodula running around





PhilinYuma said:


> Good point, Alex, and maybe it was just luck, but I suspect that, unlike flies, say, mantids will avoid any insect that is too large to be prey. Mantids tend to spread out, partly for this reason (another reason is that if they group too closely together, they will be obliged to share a relatively small amount of food).


Believe me... there is plently of loose food flying around in the bug room!


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## Katnapper

_Gonatista grisea_ female nymph (July 2009)


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## revmdn

Perdy.


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## agent A

Katnapper said:


> _Gonatista grisea_ female nymph (July 2009)


very cute species. I think I'll try that species one of these days. not sure when though. pretty cute though. I love the coloring.


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## Katnapper

_Brunneria borealis_ (July 2009)


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## revmdn

Sweet.


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