Orchid Mantis, HYMENOPUS CORONATUS

Darkrai283 · Oct 24, 2014

[04.10.14]

Picked up a pair of these at the AES from Arthropodia.

Current stadium of the two nymphs:
Female: 6th instar (Pre-subadult)
Male: 3rd instar (Pre-pre-subadult)

Pics

IMG_0558 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_0566 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_0564 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_0569 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_0568 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Darkrai283 · Oct 24, 2014

[10.10.14]

The female turned pink 2 days after I got her... in a plain container. The only thing I can think of that triggered this is the light...

Pics

IMG_0693 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_0668 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_0666 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_0701 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_0679 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Aryia · Oct 24, 2014

Nice looking orchids!

Pre-presubadult males are 3rd instar, and pre-sub females are 6th instar.

Darkrai283 · Oct 24, 2014

[13.10.14]

The male moulted today.

Male moulted to 4th instar
Moulting interval: ??? days (first time he moulted since I got him)

Current stadium of the two nymphs:
Female: 6th instar (Pre-subadult)
Male: 4th instar (Pre-subadult)

Darkrai283 · Oct 24, 2014

[14.10.14]

The female moulted today.

Female moulted to 7th instar
Moulting interval: ??? days (first time she moulted since I got her)

Current stadium of the two nymphs:
Female: 7th instar (Subadult)
Male: 4th instar (Pre-subadult)

Darkrai283 · Oct 24, 2014

Aryia said:
Nice looking orchids!

Pre-presubadult males are 3rd instar, and pre-sub females are 6th instar.

Thanks Aryia.

I'll edit the OP and others now.

jsorigami · Oct 24, 2014

What kind of light did you have to get the orchid pink? Mine are all white (not that I'm complaining, they're very pretty, just trying to see how to get them pink). Thanks

Darkrai283 · Oct 24, 2014

jsorigami said:
What kind of light did you have to get the orchid pink? Mine are all white (not that I'm complaining, they're very pretty, just trying to see how to get them pink). Thanks

Darkrai283 said:
The only thing I can think of that triggered this is the light...

I'm not sure if it really was the lighting that caused this but it's the only thing I can think of right now as lighting affects the colouration of other species as well (so don't take my word for it!)...

Arthropodia is based in France so for them to get to London here in the UK, they would have had to got the ferry or the Eurostar so their whole stock would have been in complete darkness for a day or two until they set up their stand for the start of the show.

When I got home, I set up her enclosure (plain Braplast box with kitchen roll on the bottom) and placed her with others on my growshelf which I use to overwinter sub-tropical Drosera spp. and Mexican Pinguicula spp.. I have two T5, 24W fluorescent tubes (one 3400k and the other 6400k) fixed on the top and because she changed colour so quickly, I think the transition from being in complete darkness for 1-2 days to being beamed on by two 24W growlights triggered the colour change in some way.

dmina · Oct 24, 2014

Beautiful pictures and Mantids... Keep us updated please.. Thanks for sharing!

Darkrai283 · Oct 28, 2014

[26.10.14]

Just some photos of the f&m.
I love it when the females get their body so flat on surfaces when spooked... and I was pretty amazed at how the escaped bluebottle flew straight into the arms of the pre-sub male while taking the pics. Whoa lol.

Female

IMG_1082 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_1091 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_1090 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Male

IMG_1035 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_1042 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_1136 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Darkrai283 · Oct 28, 2014

[28.10.14]

The male moulted today.

Male moulted to 5th instar
Moulting interval: 15 days

Current stadium of the two nymphs:
Female: 7th instar (Subadult)
Male: 5th instar (Subadult)

Darkrai283 · Dec 5, 2014

[09.11.14]

The female moulted today.

Female moulted to 8th instar
Moulting interval: 26 days

Current stadium of the two nymphs:
Female: 8th instar (Adult)
Male: 5th instar (Subadult)

1466259_989539687739551_5961087040896899166_n by darkrai283, on Flickr

10734091_989539711072882_2794698714941310362_n by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_1242 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Darkrai283 · Dec 5, 2014

[10.11.14]

Portrait shot of the female:

IMG_1299 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Darkrai283 · Dec 5, 2014

[21.11.14]

The male moulted today just before I went to sleep.

Male moulted to 6th instar
Moulting interval: 24 days

Current stadium of the two nymphs:
Female: 8th instar (Adult)
Male: 6th instar (Adult)

Male:

10363975_997525373607649_6520193719173721241_n by darkrai283, on Flickr

10603207_997525386940981_5148445677107827934_n by darkrai283, on Flickr

10734258_997525480274305_592429887863951969_n by darkrai283, on Flickr

1908453_997525420274311_1639197579978490547_n by darkrai283, on Flickr

Now that the female has fully coloured up:

IMG_1394 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_1420 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_1422 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_1438 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_1432 by darkrai283, on Flickr

dmina · Dec 5, 2014

WOW... Beautiful... congrats on the molt... they look amazing. She looks like she has a dress on.. Beautiful wings ... Thanks for sharing..

Darkrai283 · Dec 14, 2014

[01.12.14]

The female is 78mm from head to wingtip.

Pic:

IMG_1454 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Darkrai283 · Dec 14, 2014

[13.12.14]

Witnessed the female calling for the first time just before going to bed; 33 days since her adult moult.

[14.12.14]

At 23:00, I decided to introduce the male to the female by placing him on my finger. He jumped on after 5 mins and started drumming on her back. I witnessed one attempt to connect where the male couldn't reach but the female started calling again so I will leave them in a large Phasmid enclosure overnight.

Fingers crossed.

Pics:

Untitled by darkrai283, on Flickr

Darkrai283 · Dec 14, 2014

[14.12.14]

Success.

Pics:

IMG_1639 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_1638 by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_1634b by darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_1635 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Darkrai283 · Dec 14, 2014

dmina said:
WOW... Beautiful... congrats on the molt... they look amazing. She looks like she has a dress on.. Beautiful wings ... Thanks for sharing..

Cheers.

Orchid Mantis, HYMENOPUS CORONATUS

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