# Idolo's are so freaking ANNOYING



## Schloaty (Sep 17, 2010)

Egads, man!

I have great conditions for these jerks, but they just DIE! Well, once got EATEN by a cage mate, so you can't blame that one....

Not like there wasn't enough food in there.

Out of 4 l2's, the first to molt was just fine.

Then one had a bad molt. then one got et.

Now, the final one had a bad molt. What gives?

It's warm. It's humid. I mist. I have tons of sticks. ARG! :angry: :angry:


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## kitkat39 (Sep 17, 2010)

One of the reasons why I'm choosing to hold off on the Idolos =)


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## ismart (Sep 17, 2010)

Don't beat yourself up over this. When trying to raise this species it's best to start with a lot of nymphs. Even in ideal conditions these guys will die for no reason, and miss molt. Good luck with the rest!


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## LauraMG (Sep 17, 2010)

There's several people who have years and years of experience with mantids that have had the same problems. It's just their nature. Funny how the most beautiful ones end up being the most difficult!


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## PhilinYuma (Sep 17, 2010)

Laura G said:


> There's several people who have years and years of experience with mantids that have had the same problems. It's just their nature. *Funny how the most beautiful ones end up being the most difficult!*


Knew a couple of girls like that once!


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## LauraMG (Sep 17, 2010)

PhilinYuma said:


> Knew a couple of girls like that once!


Ha! Allow me to follow that thought all the way through and say that eventually it's just not worth it! :lol:


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## thorhack (Sep 18, 2010)

I disagree, lol it's worth it, but only after you've been through bad relationship, after bad relationship. then BAM!!!! it's soul mate time ...UH-OH!!!!

But anyways...I want an Idolo really bad but you guys are making my leary towards them haha

Oh and Laura did Zorak pass?


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## LauraMG (Sep 18, 2010)

Swifthavok said:


> Oh and Laura did Zorak pass?


Yes, I put her down. She had injured her legs so badly somehow that she couldn't climb or dangle or walk or anything. It just wasn't fair to force her to keep living. She would have been dead in the wild long ago, so I gave her a longer life than she would've had. I loved that bug.


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## steveo (Sep 18, 2010)

A Glass tank is what you need.

Half inch batten fitted inside to make mesh panels then hessian on the back

wall? and take all the twigs out.I have no problems with mine this is how mine are done.


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## Rick (Sep 18, 2010)

steveo said:


> A Glass tank is what you need.
> 
> Half inch batten fitted inside to make mesh panels then hessian on the back
> 
> wall? and take all the twigs out.I have no problems with mine this is how mine are done.


Got any pics?


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## thorhack (Sep 18, 2010)

dang, I'm sorry Laura.


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## Schloaty (Sep 20, 2010)

> and take all the twigs out


OY! Isn't the the exact opposite of what Tier reccomended?

Just goes to show, I guess, that there really is no perfect setup.

I have plastic walls, the remaining one cannot climb...so it does use the sticks.

The two that had bad molts never fell....they just got stuck in their old skins and died, just hanging there. Kinda of macabre, actually.

Well, at least the last remaining L3 is healthy and eating well.


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## Rick (Sep 20, 2010)

Schloaty said:


> OY! Isn't the the exact opposite of what Tier reccomended?
> 
> Just goes to show, I guess, that there really is no perfect setup.
> 
> ...


Yes it is. Idolo can climb screen even as adults with zero issues. They just fall when molting. I actually wonder how much the surface itself plays into the whole issue.


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## Colorcham427 (Sep 20, 2010)

Tank? do you keep a good fan in the room to circulate air, preventing stagnant air? Humidity is a big part of providing for molting, yet Idolos shouldn't get misted often?

I have a few pathos plants i keep around my room, well watered so that does give off a nice humid feel.

I am curious why this species has such trouble around L6+

This is probably why their ooths are so big! No?

I have yet to work with D. Lobata but they also have huge hatch rates, haven't searched yet but do most of them have trouble as they get bigger and heavier?

The more weight, I imagine they have more trouble molting, moving around, balancing etc.

Wish I could put some Velcro shoes on them just at sub-adult!!! LOLOLOL


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## guapoalto049 (Sep 22, 2010)

Brian Aschenbach said:


> Wish I could put some Velcro shoes on them just at sub-adult!!! LOLOLOL


Brian, you may be on to something here. It could be "Idolosandals" or "Devil flower foot grips". You'd get a ton of business with all the demoralized owners on this forum alone!


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## paddythemic (Sep 22, 2010)

I had one L2 Idolomantis recently die from getting stuck in it's molt. Then i brought in a humidifier and ran it for two days. During this "humidity time" I had a successful L2 molt from a different one.

I think I will do this when I suspect that they are going to molt again.

I have a feeling that misting them directly may lead to the "black necrosis". Also - I probably shouldn't humidify too much. (I do need to get a humidity gauge though).

Can anyone think of a reason why it could be a BAD IDEA to "spot humidify"?


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 23, 2010)

If they are not used to it, like when the weather turns for us and a lot of us get sick, it would stand to reason that the same happens to them, wouldn't it?


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## PhilinYuma (Sep 23, 2010)

hibiscusmile said:


> If they are not used to it, like when the weather turns for us and a lot of us get sick, it would stand to reason that the same happens to them, wouldn't it?


Not really! All other animals are a lot tougher than we!


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 23, 2010)

Thanks for the help Phil!


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## Colorcham427 (Sep 24, 2010)

My next batch of idolos are ALL going to be separated at L3.

They'll be housed together in butterfly net cages until L3.

Once L3, they will be in their very own 32 ounce deli cup containers with sqaures cut out on the bottom sides and metal screening hot glued to them.

Those square cut outs are just for extra air flow. I'm going to hot glue a narrow piece of paper towel on one of the sides going upward towards the lid, so they can climb back up if they fall.

I am going to provide them with the screened lids of course, not the clothe lids. Not even a stick will go in the cup. Hopefully they will get the hang of just being upside down.

I am going to try to get them to be comfortable only with the ceiling.

Once these guys hit L3, they will only see me when I toss in a few flies for them every other day and give the bottom of the cup a tiny mist.

Once they get to L4, or BIG L4s (almost L5s) I am going to house them in larger containers with the same condition/set-up. Only with thicker holes to cling their weak grip around.

Most L5s seem to get weak grips. What the heck is missing from their diet???!!!???!!!

Could this weak grip be caused from stress? Stressing over seeing other mantids or people in the room?

This is why visibility barriers are going to be all around their containers.

I am going to provide them with fiber glass mesh. It is way wider than the screen cage's holes I have mine in. And it is a whole lot wider than the butterfly net cage's holes.

I believe this species is extremely territorial, but who knows for sure! They do pose that threatening stance a lot once they are older.

When they are molting, maybe they freak out when one of their siblins catches a fly? lol... Something else might cause them to mis molt.

When they are in the wild, they could possibly move and move around, relocating to the perfect girth of a branch to hang from when molting...

The way they are built, the minute details, and then the big details that are formed on their back, sides and front, must be a pain to squirm out of.

Maybe this is just from getting weak strains? Or locales? Is this species classifieds in to two or three or more locales?

We'll see what goes down in the following 4 months! lol

I am getting a batch of around 20-25 L2's soon.

I am going to stick to this species! They are way too awesome to let go, and no I do not want to be a quitter!


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## LauraMG (Sep 24, 2010)

Brian Aschenbach said:


> I am getting a batch of around 20-25 L2's soon.
> 
> I am going to stick to this species!


Good luck Brian! I hope that works out for you!


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## Colorcham427 (Sep 24, 2010)

Laura G said:


> Good luck Brian! I hope that works out for you!


Thanks, I read on the UK mantis forum how a lot of people use much bigger sized mesh.


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 24, 2010)

Could be a good idea, the claws get caught in the smaller ones. B)


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## guapoalto049 (Sep 24, 2010)

Brian Aschenbach said:


> Thanks, I read on the UK mantis forum how a lot of people use much bigger sized mesh.


I brought that up in a previous thread. Seems logical to me too!


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