CosbyArt

@izbiggs I moved your post to the Photography, Equipment, Tips, Q&A for more responses. Also take a look at the section as many things have been discussed before regarding basic use/tips/etc related to mantids in particular. If you have any specific questions just ask. Overall I'd say get a reversing ring to fit your lens (I commented in your photo topic), get a shutter release, and a decent tripod - that will get you much better results than much else. A cheap camera is a relative point to be sure - I know some members have free phone cameras to well over $10,000 if you include lens/accessories/etc. Older DSLRs can be had affordably but cost a fortune and were top of the line when they were released (including their materials, especially lens glass), so even if priced cheap they are far from it. Many brand-new models don't do what some of them can do even if the new ones are currently more expensive and have a larger pixel count. Like many others I got hooked on a brand, Nikon in my case; although, I've owned various cameras (bridge and DSLRs) from Canon, Fuji, Pentax, Nikon, etc. If you are asking about models then my most recent models have been D3100, D200, D100, D80, D70 (current). I tend to stay with the older models as they have internal lens motors allowing auto-focus of older lenses that can be had much more affordably. In which case the D200 has been my favorite so far, plenty of power and resolution for cropping - and I think the best native colors. Sure if I ever win the lottery I would get some top of the line flagship model D5 (I think currently) and goodies, but I'm happy with what I got. Speaking of which if you have a smartphone, the apps Camera+ and Lapse it are great options to get better pre-production shots than the standard camera options. While post-production image work can do many things (Lightroom, Aftershot Pro, Photoshop, GIMP, etc...), a set of clip-on lenses can make a huge difference in quality and macro shots overall. If the photo doesn't have the quality or zoom to start with software can't fix everything. You can get fancy with shutter releases, tripod adapters, and many accessories too for even a smartphone. While I'll grab my DSLR anytime I plan on taking photos, having a smartphone setup that is always in a pocket is great for shots that would be missed otherwise.

I'm in the same boat on that as Photobucket sucks with all their ads and slowness anymore making it nearly unusable. One such alternative was Pixabay, but they have disabled hotlinking to images so they will not show on a forum, so it's no longer usable. In that regard if you sign-up somewhere to upload photos be sure it says hotlinking is allowed to save you the time and hassle of another useless host. Also another host, TinyPic, is actually part of Photobucket and has the same problems as the other. A quick search turn up these alternatives, with ImageShack being recommended by many, and Imgur as well. The rest on the list are relative new comers so just look around and see which works for you. http://imageshack.us/ http://imgur.com/ https://www.flickr.com/ https://postimage.org/ https://imgsafe.org/ http://www.swiftpic.org/ http://www.pixhoster.info/ https://droplr.com/ http://www.freeimagehosting.net/ The best option though is to of course pay for website hosting, with some starting at $5 a month. Although it is aimed at building websites, you can use your space however you want and would be better than anything else. For now I have been using the free photo space here on the forum, and deleting older images as needed to make room for new ones. Not an ideal solution, but works fine as long as I'm deleting photos that are still useful.

Introduction Scientific and common name: Acromantis japonica (Japanese boxer mantis) Physical description/appearance: L1 nymphs are black and look like tiny ants. Their legs have bands of alternating color (black/brown on gray/tan). As they age they develop a light brown color overall, and the top of their thorax and wings turn green. On the sides of their wings a bright green stripe is visible. Adult females are about 1" (2.5 cm) in size, and adult males are about 3/4" (2 cm). Native range: Southeast Asia - China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan Difficulty level: Beginner Development Rate of growth and factors involved: Even though they are a tropical species, room temperature of 72 F (22 C) degrees does not seem to slow their growth (5 months); however, higher temperatures will likely speed it up. Longevity: 10-12 months for females and 7-8 months for males are average. Molting observations: Like most mantids they prefer to molt from the lid of their enclosure. Behavior/temperament Degree of activity: Very active as nymphs love to run everywhere they can, but with adults they are content to hang from a stick or their enclosure lid. If handled will explore hands and arms. Degree of aggression or timidity: Slightly timid species, likely due to their size. Propensity to cannibalize: Unknown (Always kept separate after L1/L2) Dynamics of threat display: Unknown. If they are startled or frightened, they will run or jump to escape. Captive Environment Temperature range and humidity levels: 72 to 85 F (22 to 30 C) temperatures, with 60-80% humidity (with the higher humidity for molting nymphs). Type and size of enclosure(s) used: A plastic container that is 3" x 3" x 3" (7.5cm x 7.5cm x 7.5cm) in size is enough for any nymph or adult. I raised mine in Solo 9oz cups, a 32oz deli cup is however more ideal for size. Substrate or lack thereof: I kept a 1/4" (0.6cm) to 1/2" (1.2cm) of coconut fiber, or sphagnum peat moss to help with humidity and for cleaning insets (springtails only, I find isopods are too large for this mantid species as they seem to be stressed out by them). Cage furnishings, e.g. molting surfaces, perches, décor, plants, etc.: They prefer a stick/twig to perch on. Often they will flatten themselves out on it to hide, and to sleep on - typically on the backside. Communal housing if applicable: Unknown (Always kept separate after L1/L2) Feeding Feeding response: They like to wait ambushing the prey, but will also actively stalk prey occasionally. Females will accept larger prey than males, even compared to their size. Type and size of prey used and/or refused for various instars: Melanogaster fruit flies for the first few instars, followed by Hydei fruit flies. Adults will eat Blue or Green bottle flies, and crickets to about 1/2" (1.2cm) in size. Quantity and frequency of feedings: I feed mine small amounts daily. As nymphs I fed them about 4-6 fruit flies. Adult females can eat 2 to 3 green/blue bottle flies daily, or a small cricket. Adult males typically eat every 2-3 days, although I try to feed them daily along with my females. I have not noticed this species to become overweight/obese from overeating, as my mantids once full will throw away their food. Breeding Sexing/sexual dimorphism (explanation of physical differences and/or adult sizes of the sexes): Females are larger than the males, typically 1/4" (0.6cm) in length, and have a larger girth than the males. The females also have a much rounder abdomen. Segment counting works as expected, with females having 5 (6) and males having 7 (8) segments (depends on if you count the last walking leg segment or not). Time needed from last molt to copulation: 2 weeks. Tips: give us your methodology: I make sure to feed my female all she can eat for several days before breeding. Using a small bamboo skewer, or small sticks or dowel rods, I help to move and position the mantids. I use a 1 quart or larger container for breeding, with plenty of fake ivy and flowers inside for the male to hide when done. I put the female inside on a large stick/branch and offer her a small cricket. Once she is eating I place the male behind her facing her. Tips for inducing copulation and fecundity: If breeding is a issue increasing their breeding container temperature to about 80 F (27 C) makes them more willing to breed. Tips for inducing female to lay oothecae: Provide extra sticks/twigs hot glued to their lids, and at least 1 to 2 running the vertical length as well. The females will lay the ooths usually near a fork of the stick, or at the base of a stick. Oothecae Physical description and average size: Brown in color (light to dark brown). Measures about 0.19" (5mm) wide, and can range in length from 1/2" (1.2cm) to nearly 1" (2.5cm). Diapause if necessary: Is not needed and will simply kill the eggs - do not diapause. Incubation time and temperature: About 30 days with temperatures of 75 F (24 C). Observed number/s and range of hatching nymphs: 20 to 50 nymphs Optional Health Issues: infections or illnesses encountered: none. Additional Observations: pertinent information which doesn't neatly fit anywhere else: As this is a boxer mantid, nymphs will wave their enlarged femur forearm at one another occasionally. Also both, adult females and adult males, will also participate in a mating dance with their forearms when their habitats are placed side by side. Contributors: CosbyArt and dmina