Bolbena hottentotta the smallest species in captivity

Well you guys got lucky. Photobucket went ahead an hurried up the uploading, so I didn't have to wait 'til tomorrow.

Anyway, a few days ago I got my first adult (female btw) after just 7 weeks!!! The first male shed today. It's hard to tell, when looking at the subadults, since they are so small, but I'm pretty sure I have 8 females and 3 males. Since the females lay 15-20 ooths...I think I'll be buried ooths lol

Sorry that the pics are not the greatest, but these mantids love to run around like wackos. They do not stay still at all, in fact I momentarily lost the male earlier today because he jumped off my hand and ran off! :lol: Since my carpet is brown (and so is the micro male) I had a good 'ole time finding him.

Ironically, these guys "box" WAY more than any of the 2-3 species boxer mantids I've ever had!

Here's the pics:



first male shedding about 3 days after the first female



adult female



adult male



the male looks bigger because of his wings (the female's dont fully cover her body) but they are the same body size)



female is about 14mm





including wings, the male is 17-18mm (without wings he is 14mm)

I also noticed that this species upper wings are shorter than their lower wings.

These guys are full of personality and greed. The group of 11 will down 50 or so fruit flies every night! :blink: (I feed them every night)

Very cool! Good job.

Their size is so annoying, but they look cool.

Cool photo's

Good luck breeding these!

after breeding antmantids iv had enough for them..way to small for my liking...smallest im going now is walbergii.

Aww if you had them though you might be able to make them visible to people lol

They are really cute ^^

Congrats AB!

I would love to keep them, but im WAY too irresponsible. While doing whatever at my desk, i'll let a mantid or two out for a stroll. Usually i forget about them though lol. I nearly lost a sub-adult rhombodera on a wood floor today! Doh!

Those mini's are looking good though! Maybe these'll turn into a curse on you like gambians are on Andrew!

I love the species :0 If I had a source of springtails I would definately go for the species! I like it small :lol:

Well, I was going to take one of my adult pairs (now have 2 of them) to show to the entomologist at the museum I work at...so I put them in the same container thinking nothing would happen (especially since the female is 5 days old and the male is 3 days old). MUCH to my surprise and shock, when I came back into my room the pair was mating!!!! :blink: :blink: :blink: I was not trying to mate them, I just had them together for ease of taking them. I can not believe that a 5 day old female and a 3 day old male mated! :blink:

To be honest, i was not wanting to mate any of the Bolbena for a few weeks, because I wanted my springtail cultures to get their population up in preparation for hatchlings.

Reserve me an ooth. Those are neat. Actually nevermind if they have to have sprintails.

Rick said:

Reserve me an ooth. Those are neat. Actually nevermind if they have to have sprintails.

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They do not have to have spring tails. Just any 'ole bug that is half the size of a fruit fly. Even a well inbred fruit fly culture (when the flies get REALLY small) may work. I just use springtails because they were easiest for me. B)

They are so cool, I have my springtail cultures all ready,,,,yum!

Nothing suprising that they mated. All the small boxer and antlike mantids I worked with had the same ability- Ceratomantis mated after 4 days, Oxypilus after 5-6 and now Ephestiasula after 5. Odontomantis in my culture were ready in a week...

Empiu said:

They are really cute ^^

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i want the mantis that is in your aviter..got any ooths or nympths for sale?

i bet wingless frute flys would work?

macro junkie said:

i bet wingless frute flys would work?

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as long as they are about 1mm long.

Ok then. Save me an ooth!

Rick said:

Ok then. Save me an ooth!

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Sure thing. B) BTW: I'll also be selling springtails for those that need them (will only ship springtails in the USA though).