Recent content by LGMS

"Inbreeding", OK! That makes good sense & explains the undesireable side effects. I'd read about inbreeding on mantids and how some would pair them for mating from different ooths produced by unrelated partners but didn't even think of it concerning crickets. I've read that in some species...

I had about 700 pinheads that started from eggs the adult crix made before those adults became mantid food. Perhaps 500 of the pinheads have survived from that batch and are almost adults now. I've noticed a few problem crix every now and then. I dispose of the lame ones or those that look...

Wish they were Ian. The fellow who took the pix knows his hobby well. While the quality will vary substantially, to see thousands of mantid pix search on Google for "mantid" but click on the "Images" button at the top left of the page for the search parameter. You should come up with 3,210 hits...

Not a lot of different species but very nice for IDing some of them, worth bookmarking for future reference. http://bobjensenphotography.com/-/bobjense...ery.asp?cat=349

Hello Ian, good 2 hear from U. Concerning Google. I've been on the Net since '93, things certainly have changed. I do miss Deja News as it was back then. Google can be unwieldy at times but as to searching in your native tongue, just set up the parameters for such. That eliminates lots of...

Sometimes search engines cannot point you to a specific answer, search parameters being what they are or you find 100 people have posted info on your question - and there are 101 answers :wink: Which one is correct? I have used the search feature here, it's great now but once this forum has...

In the case of the Chinese females, I've yet to find one whose wings didn't go past her abdomen. They actually do fly, not all that far nor very gracefully but they can fly. Once gravid, they fly less. I've read that the Carolina females wings are shorter than her abdomen, not sure about the...

Hi Rex, I read your post earlier today before I happened to find a mantid that has one black patch on each front leg about where they join to the thorax area. The mantid measures 2 3/8". This one is rather docile & easy to handle and stays put, he rarely moves around and will sit in my hand...

Before they laid their 1st ooth's they ate more than the males, to be expected. It's been a couple of days now since they laid the ooth's and I'm not sure what the feeding schedule should be for a female Chinese mantid. I've given them several crickets and even some 1 1/2" grasshoppers w/i 1...

Rick I just searched their site but didn't find a large supply of medium avail. What's the order number? Thanx. Rgds, Louis

I don't have the time to look it up right now but recall reading that the mantids do best with foods that have a soft exoskeleton or none at all. Ants are rather hardy so I'm assuming they have a tough exo which is something the mantids won't digest or digest fully, wasting food. Rgds, Louis

All things considered, nature being what it is, I would think there is an overproduction of eggs simply due to the fact that many will not make it to adulthood. Not going to sweat it, losing a few eggs. This morning I got up and checked the other female cages out w/something I'd read about...

Yen, Rick, thanxs for the advice. We'll experiment a bit as I placed the egg case in a Glad sandwich bag and then enclosed it in another bag. Sealed it tight with tape, time will tell. The fridge I'm using for storage is an old one so it has plenty of moisture. Next egg case will be stored...

Hi Rick, got a surprise 2day as one of the females laid her ooth only a week after mating. Of course she placed it on the glass wall of the aquarium instead of the branch inside the tank. Happened w/i the last 2 1/2 hrs as there was nothing there previously. It is hardened and I used a razor...

My Chinese mantids do this. I've only tried mating them 8 times so I'm new at this game but the female often seems to groom herself, antennas, front legs. The males will move a bit at times, repositioning perhaps and on occassion groom themselves and it DOES cause the female to pay attention...