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Wow, how interesting! Sometimes lab breeding programs will do similar things as the IGM numbers. I'm not really knowledgeable about the hobbyist community here, so I have no idea what you guys have been doing all these years and how you breed mantises and things. I hope I didn't worry you! The...

Hmm, yes and no. It really depends on the species! Ladybugs have differing spots and color, even among the same species, just because of genetic variation -- but their environment, such as their diet, surrounding vegetation, temperature, weather, and so on -- can affect that as well. For a...

Yes, exactly! Bee pollen has tons of nutrients in it, the type of nutrients depending on where it was collected (wildflowers, a grove, etc.) I wouldn't say it's necessary, but insects are very efficient little machines. The more nutrients you put in them, the more they'll put out. :)

Yep! Sure can! Also, males of all species usually emerge before females do to get ready for them. The ones outside might be on time, but the ones you have indoors are warmer and may have eclosed earlier. Lots of things to consider! ^o^

LOL. Ahh, but my mantises love climbing on my (admittedly hairy?) arms. I don't know what it is. Bugs make a beeline for my arms! On the honey note: Honey is often used to feed many different types of insects in labs, or even more commonly, just plain sugar water! Fruit is also a very common...

I can't think of any, and paper searches are turning up nothing as well. :) Most endangered insects are butterflies, beetles, and aquatic species, it seems...

No. I mean... yes. :stuart:

I've done both! Right now I work with two specialized systems. One is the biological control of the polyphagous shothole borer, which is a tiny ambrosia beetle that is destroying our avocado trees, and the second is the bacterial symbionts in kissing bugs (transmitters of Chagas disease) that...

What an interesting question! Just really quickly, I want to link this quick read for anyone who might not know what inbreeding depression is. The article explains it really well! Inbreeding depression in insects is actually poorly studied (save for fruit flies and a few different types of...

I haven't! They are very, very cool looking though -- they seem very similar to katydids. I bet our outreach program would love to get a few of those.

Hi all, so I thought this would be something fun to do. Like the title says, I'm an Entomologist - meaning I work with insects professionally. :) since most of you are hobbyists (I hope?) I might have some insight into any questions you have about insects, mantids, or my field in particular...

Interesting! You probably won't be able to ID bacteria just by culturing (you'll likely need a lab and pcr for that), but to see if it's gram positive or gram negative is helpful. Right now I actually work on the bacteria in the guts of kissing bugs, and let me tell you, there is quite a lot...

Are there? How neat! I live in SoCal, so it can be a challenge to keep things humid. I wonder if it's any easier up north. I hope to learn new things from you, too. I'm no expert! =P Thank you also for the warm welcomes, everyone! That's very kind of you all.

Hi Peter! Sorry for the late reply. Yes I did -- I'm the same person who ordered several of those mantises from you earlier. :) There was a huge turnout! The event was only a block or so long, with little booths set up here and there, most educational, some sellers from familiar websites...

Hi all! How are you? I just found this forum the other day, and decided to join. I'm an entomologist currently working at UCR, and I work with all sorts of insects, though they're usually the dead kind. :P So I'm very familiar with them. I've been raising mantises for awhile now. Currently I...