Recent content by Gill

The shield seems the wrong shape for Mantis religiosa

It might stress him a lot getting the honey off. Leave him another day then put a small fly like a green bottle, in with him. If the honey is still bothering him tomorrow you could try getting him to walk across a shallow bit of water in a saucer.

After a moult to adult it is a few days till they will eat. And adult males rarely eat, quite different from before they were adult. Adult females a few days- a week after a moult will start eating and eat loads. If they have honey they might then not want to eat and it is best to stick to theur...

Understanding how neurons (nerve cells) turn photons into 3d depth perception by modelling the neuronl computations is not a wate of money. The mantis is the simplest model system to study this in. To quote the researcher on her home page The results of the research will have many benefits...

Are there native species around new york. And what other introduced species are there? I would worry that removing 29 ooths would have quite a hit on the local population, but I am from England where we have no mantises so don't really know much about this.

I can see a mite on your new Mio, left hand side near the labrum

Those are good mite pictures, there is an article about mites on mantids on Page 16 http://www.ukmantisforums.co.uk/newsletters/NLIssue%2011.pdf

Yayy.. do I win some?

Pseudomiopteryx species, of the 3 present in Costa Rica perhaps infuscata or maybe maculata, I don't think festae but difficult to be sure from pics

The males mature earlier than females so that can be tricky.

It seems unessasry to have a control group in feeding choice. What would it be?

If you don't feed for 3 days (longer if older) before hand then give 10 mantids of the same instar (or more if possible and note sex) a feeding choice and repeat it 3 times that should be informative.

I think I read somewhere that mantises will choose smaller prey over larger. Or perhaps it was just that most of their diet in the wild was made up from smaller insects, It will be interesting to hear your findings.

I would go ahead and try. Mantis breeding is difficult and so you will get good experience with them. Most people do buy an ooth and breed siblings and I think for one generation there is no problem, then distribute the offsping and hopefully someone else who has got an ooth at a similar time...

Andies back, bad code has been removed :) All well again