Which one....

joossa · Apr 29, 2008

Cilnia humeralis (Wide-Arm Mantis) or Rhombodera basilis (Giant Shield Mantis)...

On average, which one is...

1) longer?

2) heavier?

3) bulkier?

4) more aggressive (overall)?

5) the faster grower?

EDIT: Also can any of these be kept in 32oz deli cups (comfortably) for the entire life cyle, including adults?

Thanks!

Ben.M · Apr 29, 2008

joossa said:
Cilnia humeralis (Wide-Arm Mantis) or Rhombodera basilis (Giant Shield Mantis)... On average, which one is...

1) Rhombodera

2) Cilnia

3) Cilnia

4) Cilnia

5) Rhombodera

EDIT: Also can any of these be kept in 32oz deli cups (comfortably) for the entire life cyle, including adults?, adult male cilnias could but im not sure about Rhombodera

Thanks!

....................

Rob Byatt · Apr 29, 2008

You'll be pleased to know I did a topic on this a while back

http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?sh...ilnia+humeralis

I'll let you come to your own decisions

How ironic that now I'm struggling to keep this species in stock........people are showing an interest !!! :angry:

Rick · Apr 29, 2008

I would have to say the shield is more of all of those. You cannot keep the sheilds in the cups their whole life. They're way too big. The males of the wide arm could probably live out their lives in those cups.

hibiscusmile · Apr 29, 2008

Hi Rob! I have to agree with Rick, I am keeping them now and as they turn adult, they really need more room, the two hatched about the same time and the two molted to adult within days of each other, only the shield was first. Here is pics of them both in the cups,

this is a male adult sheild, he is not happy with me putting him in here and i don't blame him! He really has no room to move or stretch.

Here is the pic of an adult w/arm. He is fitting in here fine, but once again they have no where to roam, I guess this is ok if you do not care how they feel, or just for the sake of breeding them, I don't think it is ok for anything myself, especially a pet. Btw, the w/arm is in the 24 oz cup, which width wise is the same as the 32 oz.

obregon562 · Apr 29, 2008

Rhomboderas are my favorite mantids in the hobby. They get to a good size, ~3.5" in my experience, but they are the strongest, most aggresive mantids i've ever known! My L6 (1.5") female rhombo just took down a swallow-tail butterfly yesterday! She took a strike and realized it was too big...then went straight at its head and got it! My adult males can take bumble-bees down every now and then too! They are super friendly if handled enough. One of my females was a little figgity and attacked my eyelid, causing bleeding and a little scar. A small price to pay for their awsome-ness.

Hope this helps!

Oh, they are also though as nails when it come to care. I've never lost one to a bad shed. I have lost quite a few to cannablism though.

Rob Byatt · Apr 30, 2008

I know of no other mantis that can do this, or one that would even think a stick of this size is food. This is the only species I have come across that will try to eat ANYTHING that touches it, rear legs included

I've also seen adult females walking along a table with an adult locust in one foreleg

I'll win this one

ismart · Apr 30, 2008

I have to agree with Rob on this one. The female wide-arms are crazy strong. Last weekend i feed one of my gravid females 4 carpenter bees. She ate them all in one day. I have never seen a mantis eat quite like her, and she was ready for more :blink:

obregon562 · Apr 30, 2008

obregon562 said:
.

hibiscusmile · Apr 30, 2008

What is it eating Rob? I cannot see it?

Birdfly · Apr 30, 2008

Its gnawing on a branch it has "caught" the branch which it is supporting is probably ten times its weight if not more, knowing this species a bit Rob probably just lightly touched the Cilnia female with it and it has grabbed and attempted to eat it!!!

They really are the most aggresive mantis species i've ever come across, Rhombodera sp (sheilded mantids) are no more aggresive than many other species imo

joossa · Apr 30, 2008

Thanks for the replies!

Morpheus uk · Apr 30, 2008

How about a double shield mantis? they have better looks than a shielded and they are agressive

Birdfly · May 1, 2008

Morpheus uk said:
How about a double shield mantis? they have better looks than a shielded and they are agressive

Better looking is a personal thing, bigger yes but still nowhere near as aggressive as C humeralis

MantidLord · May 3, 2008

What about budwings? they're pretty aggressive.

Which one....

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