AAA's Swarm

[BringontheBugs]

Good evening.  

I've decided to start up a photo thread on my arthropod collection (minus mantids of course; I'm still unsure if I'll ever try them again) after finally learning how to share pictures easily here thanks to the one and only, @Hisserdude. I'll go ahead and get things rolling with the current crowning jewel of my collection, my smallish nymph pair of Rhinoceros Roaches, Macropanesthia rhinoceros.  

Macropanesthia rhinoceros​

Smallish male nymph​

Smallish female nymph​

Smallish nymph pair​

 

[hysteresis]

Beautiful. I'm blown away with this forum, and folks like yourself.

Such amazing animals being kept. Just wow. 

 

[BringontheBugs]

Beautiful. I'm blown away with this forum, and folks like yourself.

Such amazing animals being kept. Just wow. 

Why thank you.  

I wholly agree; it's amazing that there's a hobby like this where people can experience these magnificent animals first hand without traveling all the way to their home countries!

 

[BringontheBugs]

Kick-off the new year with some Thai earth-spawn!  

Pycnoscelus sp. "Thailand"​

Mixed-size nymphs​

Recently-molted adult female​

Adult female​

 

[Cole 78]

Nice pics! Cool inverts. The first post, the ones of the beetle on a white backround, it good be a tad bit brighter.

 

[BringontheBugs]

Nice pics! Cool inverts. The first post, the ones of the beetle on a white backround, it good be a tad bit brighter.

Thank you! 

I know, but I didn't want to alter the actual appearance of the individual at all and don't know if there is a way to just enhance the brightness of the background. That is in fact a Rhino Roach, not a beetle, BTW.  

 

[Cole 78]

Thank you! 

I know, but I didn't want to alter the actual appearance of the individual at all and don't know if there is a way to just enhance the brightness of the background. That is in fact a Rhino Roach, not a beetle, BTW.  

I mean not artificially brightening through photo editing software. I mean pulling up a lamp or something a little closer, or turning on a couple more lights. I can enhance the backround for you if you like. I'll do it now and do a comparison photo. It will take me a little while though. And thank you for telling me it is a Rhino Beetle. I wasn't sure on what kind so I just generalized it as 'beetle'

 

[Cole 78]

Brightened it up. 

 

[hysteresis]

Pretty roach.

I never thought id EVER say such a thing! 

 

[BringontheBugs]

I mean not artificially brightening through photo editing software. I mean pulling up a lamp or something a little closer, or turning on a couple more lights. I can enhance the backround for you if you like. I'll do it now and do a comparison photo. It will take me a little while though. And thank you for telling me it is a Rhino Beetle. I wasn't sure on what kind so I just generalized it as 'beetle'

Oh, the camera I use seems to only take its best pics with the flash on so I don't think that's a possibility for me. But it's not a Rhino Beetle, it's a Rhino Roach...……...a RHINO ROACH!!! If it was a Rhino Beetle and you called it a beetle, I wouldn't have said a thing, but this is just unacceptable.  

Brightened it up. 

Thank you, I appreciate it. Quite spiffy. I will say that it does seem to alter the appearance of the roach in a bit of a negative way though and it would also make me have to darken up my watermark since it drowns it out, so I think I'll just be satisfied with how my pics are right now.  

Pretty roach.

I never thought id EVER say such a thing! 

LOL, I know a lot of people who didn't either. And this is one of my duller-colored ones at the moment.  

 

[hysteresis]

LOL, I know a lot of people who didn't either. And this is one of my duller-colored ones at the moment.  

I'm strictly mantids today.

But I could enjoy other bugs like these. My wife wouldn't be down, though. 

She likes the mantises. Even takes them out to hang out, etc.

I asked her how she felt about us keeping tarantulas and scorpions.

She declined.

 

[BringontheBugs]

I'm strictly mantids today.

But I could enjoy other bugs like these. My wife wouldn't be down, though. 

She likes the mantises. Even takes them out to hang out, etc.

I asked her how she felt about us keeping tarantulas and scorpions.

She declined.

Unfortunately, I believe that owning any roach species besides the ones that have already established themselves over there, is prohibited Canada (Don't quote me on that though lol).

I think people often have that feeling towards mantids because they are more personable in a way with their "pupals", odd head-movements, and commonly overall more "social" behavior compared to other inverts. I also think that's probably one of the main reasons that they have grown to be more popular than many other things that are kept in the hobby.

LOL #fail. Luckily, I thiiiiink that you can keep the various isopod species there (don't quote me on that either though lol) and people often warm up to them more so than really any other "creepy crawly", or at least that's what it seems like. lol

 

[hysteresis]

I have mantids because I love how they hunt, grapple, and devour. They're beautiful and elegant.

My kids were the ones that started us on this journey and it's been great for all of us!

Canada has strict laws, yes. 

 

[BringontheBugs]

I have mantids because I love how they hunt, grapple, and devour. They're beautiful and elegant.

My kids were the ones that started us on this journey and it's been great for all of us!

Canada has strict laws, yes. 

Fair enough; those are also great aspects of keeping them.  

Oh, that's awesome! Very nice to see some appreciation out of the younger generation! Unfortunately in the niche of the hobby I'm most involved in, cockroaches, you will only find a handful of people around the same age as me.  

Definitely not the greatest place to live if you're an invert enthusiast.  

 

[hysteresis]

 It was easy enough to catch a European in the backyard. So easy in fact, we caught a second one outback at work.

Now I have three more species I've never kept before.

The hobby is definitely addictive. 

 

[hysteresis]

And holy smokes I saw your age. You're 17 or so? 

So many talented young folk here.

Wow!

 

[BringontheBugs]

 It was easy enough to catch a European in the backyard. So easy in fact, we caught a second one outback at work.

Now I have three more species I've never kept before.

The hobby is definitely addictive. 

Sounds nice over there. In my whole life I've only seen one European nymph (which I tried to keep and killed since I have probably one of the blackest thumbs with mantids); everything else has been T.sinensis. 

For sure; it's easy for your house to get overcome with little "houses". lol

And holy smokes I saw your age. You're 17 or so? 

So many talented young folk here.

Wow!

16 at the moment, 17 in April.  

I appreciate it and can agree! Especially the ones that keep mantids; I for the life of me have not been able to keep one alive for the duration of their lives in like my last 6 attempts. 

 

[BringontheBugs]

Up next is my most miniscule and possibly most otherworldly beetle species, your favorite pest, Mezium affine.

Mezium affine​

Adults​

 

[hysteresis]

I for the life of me have not been able to keep one alive for the duration of their lives in like my last 6 attempts. 

I think we tend to overcare for mantids. Proper air, drink, and food. Properly sized enclosures, and timely prey. To me, I think that's as simple as it is.

16 at the moment, 17 in April.

Just amazing! I'd be proud if my boys turned out like you young folk on this forum.