Recent content by Jesse

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  1. J

    What can you tell me about I. Oratoria?

    I believe they can be found from about Davis, CA south to Arizona. I have had ooths that were exposed to freezing temperatures for a short time still hatch It seemed to me that nymphs hatched out much stronger and larger and over a shorter period of time when exposed to a cold period of a...
  2. J

    bye

    It really depends on the species, but most of the larger exotics easily live 6 months as an adult (if female). My personal record was 9 months for a female S. lineola.
  3. J

    Questions about hatching my Mantis Religiosa ooth's

    European mantid ooths can tolerate freezing temperatures outdoors because of the gradual temperature change, but yes, sticking them directly into the freezer, or into freezing temperatures may kill the eggs. I believe the ooths, under natural conditions in SoCal, will hatch march-April when the...
  4. J

    Questions about hatching my Mantis Religiosa ooth's

    Your best bet is to keep the oothecae outdoors (protected from vermin), so that they will hatch at the same time as the local wild ones. These are highly adaptable mantids that is for sure. Southern California does not have much of a "cold" period, so hatching MAY be related to daylight length...
  5. J

    Found a new wild mantis last night, not sure what species...

    The feeler things at the end of its abdomen are called cerci, and both males and females have them.
  6. J

    Eggsack? Type?- ID by picture?

    Yes, it is most definitely a Stagmomantis carolina ootheca!
  7. J

    positive id

    It is difficult to tell from the pics, but European mantids have distinct "targets" or "eyespots" on the coxa of the prothoracic legs, Chinese will have markings but they will not look like a target
  8. J

    Found a new wild mantis last night, not sure what species...

    Most likely it is a male of one of the following three species Iris oratoria Stagmomantis limbata Stagmomantis californicus
  9. J

    usambara tarantula sexing

    Sexing by looking at the exuvia (cast skin) is the best way in my opinion. There are many websites and books that describe this method. Oh yeah, and you are right, that is an extremely poor choice for a beginner, easy to keep but extremely fast and defensive (almost to the point of being...
  10. J

    New species

    Julian has the right idea. Mantids are not in the same Family, they are in the same Order. Domestic dogs all belong to one species and/or subspecies Canis lupus familiaris.
  11. J

    Tenodera ooths.

    I would say keep them in the fridge until 4-5 weeks before the last estimated frost date (ask your local nursery), and then take them out and allow them to hatch. You may want to take a group of them out of storage every couple of days for 2 plus weeks, so you don't have a million of them at...
  12. J

    your pick?

    "Overrated": Any mantid that costs $10+ USD for L1-L3. Underrated: Can't decide between S. lineola or P. agrionina.
  13. J

    Hatching

    I've done that with S. lineola, H. membranacea, P. paradoxa, and P. agrionina without ever killing any. I never tried it with any other species though.
  14. J

    Hatching

    Not if you put them in the fridge first!
  15. J

    Hatching

    One method I use is to put the mantid nursery into the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Sometimes they all look dead and fall to the enclosure floor, but they always "come back to life". It gives me a good 10-20 minute window to get fruitflies into the enclosure, which usually takes a minute or two...
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