Recent content by rlechols

They're beauties! Have you figured out gender yet?

Those are cute little guys. What species are they?

Nice picture! What equipment do you use?

Thanks for the compliments on the pics--yes, my camera is the Canon S3 IS--a good substitute for an SLR. The pics were taken with the Raynox DCR 250 macro lens attached. It has taken some practice to learn how to use it, and I'm still figuring it out. I take a lot of pics and usually get 1/4...

Hi all, Just thought I'd share some pics I took today: L4 Ghost eating a D. Melangastor fruit fly: (you can see the fly's red eyes) More L4 Ghost pics: Close up of D. Melangastor fly: H. Grandis male (sub-sub adult):

I have kept chinese eggcases in the fridge all winter before, and they hatched just fine. Although, it is best to put a moist cotton ball in with the ooth, to provide humidity, and replace it when it dries out. Don't store the ooth in a plastic bag, the humidity will cause it to mold. Try a...

I have cats too--shut the door to the room where the mantids are. Rick's procedure has worked great for me--it usually only takes a few minutes of looking to locate the male later, and the female is usually in the same spot.

She could lay her eggcase just about anywhere--on thick stems, in trees, on a mailbox or deck, etc. It just depends on her finding a spot she likes. I'm not sure what you mean about fruit flies--In any case, there are two kinds of flies readily available on the internet. The smaller is...

Houseflies or something around the same size. I get housefly pupa that can be stored in the fridge from Spiderpharm.com. There are lots of other places to buy as well.

I agree. Feed it 3-4 flies every other day, and as it gets bigger, increase the amount of food. If the mantid's abdomen gets hugely swollen with food, don't feed for a few days or reduce the amount.

All wild caught mantids dislike containment at first; they'll get used to it after a few days. It's beneficial if they have enough room in their enclosure to roam around. Mantids can hunt any time--day or night, but hunting near a light at night is easy hunting, so people often notice them...

Congratulations! Did you breed these or buy? I really enjoy this species--have fun!

I agree that crickets can be dangerous, but usually only at molting time. It just means caution must be exercised--take the cricket out if the mantis isn't interested and you suspect it's ready to molt.

These mantids are extremely prolific. I hatched some and they only took about 2 months to reach adulthood. They mate in about an hour, lay one ooth after another if well fed, and have a good hatch rate (and pretty quick, too.) The males fly extremely well and are very entertaining. :lol:

I had a sub-adult african mantis with a similar condition on one of the front claws. I realized it was spreading and decided I better amputate to save her life. I clipped her claw off at the elbow, stopped the bleeding with pressure, and she's been fine ever since. She hunts fine with one...