Alexander's Mantids: 2012 - Present
- Thread starter MantidBro
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Thatd be awesome! ill love em either way though hahaI'm glad yall like the green female, I thought it was a nice pick before I ever removed her from the community project. The male may turn green as well like Cyprus and Nymbit did (Cyprus's genetics), but that was way closer to the last couple molts.
I wish you the best on the ghost pair, hopefully with a little luck you can achieve a new generation and keep things rolling.
Thanks man! i hope so too!
August 9th
Baline (female Idolomantis) molted to L7! Here's a video:
I figured I'd add in some tips, for those who have Idolos and are worried about molts at later stages:
. Drawer liner works very well.
. 70-80% humidity.
. Don't shine the light in from the top, but instead, from the side. There's a risk that the feet will dry up if directly under the lamp and it will cause them to get stuck in the exuvia. During molts, heat lamps don't matter so much, and in fact may reduce the humidity. I used a simple UV lamp which only reaches about 60F itself (though my room is warm enough and it was about 75F in the cage). This was just so I could see the mantis; it wasn't being used to provide any heat.
. Once the mantis is hanging from the exuvia, you want the container to start drying up rather than remain humid. There's a risk that the exuvia will become too moist/soggy and easily tear, or fall, as the heavy mantis hangs from it. So once she was hanging I did the opposite of what I'd done for the actual molt. I switched the heat lamp to an 80watt, and placed it over the top of the cage, because now I wanted the feet of the exuvia to become dry so it's more sturdy. I also removed the towel I had placed over the top of the cage to keep humidity in. (I don't have absolute proof that this is the right thing to do but the way my brain works made it seem like it was something I should do.)
. A safety net should be provided for L6-L7 and up (my female had a hard time getting her feet to hang from the top once she was ready).
Also, Galactica (original male Heterochaeta) reached L6! I'll get photos later.
August 10th
I went walking at a place I rarely go to. There was a huge field that I walked through, looking for feeders and of course hoping I might spot a mantid or ootheca, I was thinking Tenodera. But much to my surprise, I spotted an adult male Mantis religiosa! I honestly didn't know they were introduced to the USA so I was shocked and thrilled. Now I've got another species to add to my list of "species owned"! Well, I planned at that moment to go looking for an adult female. If there's one, I knew there'd be more, and I wanted a shot at breeding them so I could get the real experience owning the species. No more than five inches from where I found the male, I saw a sub-adult female! I literally didn't even move from where I stood as I caught the male. I found that interesting! It was as if he was waiting for the female to become an adult.
The male is only 2"! And the female seems she won't be much bigger. She will be molting soon, her wing buds are swollen and she's been pulsing.
Adult male:
Sub-adult female:
Baline (female Idolomantis) molted to L7! Here's a video:
I figured I'd add in some tips, for those who have Idolos and are worried about molts at later stages:
. Drawer liner works very well.
. 70-80% humidity.
. Don't shine the light in from the top, but instead, from the side. There's a risk that the feet will dry up if directly under the lamp and it will cause them to get stuck in the exuvia. During molts, heat lamps don't matter so much, and in fact may reduce the humidity. I used a simple UV lamp which only reaches about 60F itself (though my room is warm enough and it was about 75F in the cage). This was just so I could see the mantis; it wasn't being used to provide any heat.
. Once the mantis is hanging from the exuvia, you want the container to start drying up rather than remain humid. There's a risk that the exuvia will become too moist/soggy and easily tear, or fall, as the heavy mantis hangs from it. So once she was hanging I did the opposite of what I'd done for the actual molt. I switched the heat lamp to an 80watt, and placed it over the top of the cage, because now I wanted the feet of the exuvia to become dry so it's more sturdy. I also removed the towel I had placed over the top of the cage to keep humidity in. (I don't have absolute proof that this is the right thing to do but the way my brain works made it seem like it was something I should do.)
. A safety net should be provided for L6-L7 and up (my female had a hard time getting her feet to hang from the top once she was ready).
Also, Galactica (original male Heterochaeta) reached L6! I'll get photos later.
August 10th
I went walking at a place I rarely go to. There was a huge field that I walked through, looking for feeders and of course hoping I might spot a mantid or ootheca, I was thinking Tenodera. But much to my surprise, I spotted an adult male Mantis religiosa! I honestly didn't know they were introduced to the USA so I was shocked and thrilled. Now I've got another species to add to my list of "species owned"! Well, I planned at that moment to go looking for an adult female. If there's one, I knew there'd be more, and I wanted a shot at breeding them so I could get the real experience owning the species. No more than five inches from where I found the male, I saw a sub-adult female! I literally didn't even move from where I stood as I caught the male. I found that interesting! It was as if he was waiting for the female to become an adult.
The male is only 2"! And the female seems she won't be much bigger. She will be molting soon, her wing buds are swollen and she's been pulsing.
Adult male:
Sub-adult female:
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Your doing something right for sure, keep it up How mant more molts at left for Baline as she is L7? One more?
I like the blue shelf/drawer liner you have - I had a choice between that or a light tan almost flesh color. I figured the tan would not stand out so bad in my vivarium/terrarium build.
How mant more molts at left for Baline as she is L7? One more?I like the blue shelf/drawer liner you have - I had a choice between that or a light tan almost flesh color. I figured the tan would not stand out so bad in my vivarium/terrarium build.
Thanks! She has two more molts, shes a presub.Your doing something right for sure, keep it up
I like the blue shelf/drawer liner you have - I had a choice between that or a light tan almost flesh color. I figured the tan would not stand out so bad in my vivarium/terrarium build.
Thanks again. Tan is a good color, it will certainly match well. I picked blue, hoping that on her last molt, she will pick up some of that blue color!
Sticky
Well-known member
He is very handsome! She will be beautiful too. I love the stars on the inside of her arm. I knew about the eye spot, but not the stars.
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He certainly is! She was too; unfortunately she mismolted last night. Though I found replacements. I'll update and fill you in on all the details then! x)
I like their inner arm designs, I didn't know about the stars either.
Danny.
Well-known member
Bro, nice going with the Idolo. I would replace the drawer liner with thin branches for her last two moults.
Thank you.
Yeah? I might hot glue thin branches along the drawer liner. Though I've seen a video on youtube where someone used drawer liner for the adult molt and the Idolo did just fine.
I DO NOT OWN THIS VIDEO. Lol gotta throw that in there just in case.
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Tacca, the second Idolo female, molted to L7!
I freaking LOVE this species. I can't wait til one of them, or hopefully ALL of them, reach adulthood!
I went back to the field where I caught the Mantis religiosa... an adult male and a subadult female. The subadult female mismolted unfortunately, I'm not sure why. She fell, even when molting from drawer liner, which struck me as odd. Her arms got stuck. I quickly squished her to put her out of her misery, poor gal. The male is still well though, my sister gave me the idea to name him after the actor Marlon Brando from "The Wild One". Cause he is a wild mantid! Haha. Anyways, when I went back to that field, I saw 10 males and 4 females! I only kept two more males, so I now have three. I have two green ones and a dark green one that looks more brown. And I kept a green female and a brown female. At the field, the second female I captured, flew away! And quite far, like 100 feet and up into a huge tree. I was surprised, I'd never seen a female fly before, and especially not 100 feet. But they are small and they have wings that are the same size as the males so it makes sense. Both males and females are only 2 inches, only females are wider.
Well here's the second brown female I caught, and kept:
Here's the green female I kept:
And Blaar, the L4 male just lookin' around:
And another thing. I wanted to show how LAME ships nymphs, he does very well:
Til next time my friends!
I freaking LOVE this species. I can't wait til one of them, or hopefully ALL of them, reach adulthood!
I went back to the field where I caught the Mantis religiosa... an adult male and a subadult female. The subadult female mismolted unfortunately, I'm not sure why. She fell, even when molting from drawer liner, which struck me as odd. Her arms got stuck. I quickly squished her to put her out of her misery, poor gal. The male is still well though, my sister gave me the idea to name him after the actor Marlon Brando from "The Wild One". Cause he is a wild mantid! Haha. Anyways, when I went back to that field, I saw 10 males and 4 females! I only kept two more males, so I now have three. I have two green ones and a dark green one that looks more brown. And I kept a green female and a brown female. At the field, the second female I captured, flew away! And quite far, like 100 feet and up into a huge tree. I was surprised, I'd never seen a female fly before, and especially not 100 feet. But they are small and they have wings that are the same size as the males so it makes sense. Both males and females are only 2 inches, only females are wider.
Well here's the second brown female I caught, and kept:
Here's the green female I kept:
And Blaar, the L4 male just lookin' around:
And another thing. I wanted to show how LAME ships nymphs, he does very well:
Til next time my friends!
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Danny.
Well-known member
Do whatever works for you. But if the M. religiosa fell and your female "had a hard time getting her feet to hang from the top once she was ready)" I wouldn't risk it using drawer liner...Thank you.
Yeah? I might hot glue thin branches along the drawer liner. Though I've seen a video on youtube where someone used drawer liner for the adult molt and the Idolo did just fine.
Well the religiosa had gotten her arms stuck and all her legs were out, its possible that she tried hanging on with her damaged legs and fell because they couldnt hold, what with the damage to them, and what with the absence of the walking hairs on her raptors. And i didnt mean the idolo had a hard time holding onto the drawer liner, i meant she had a hard time transitioning from hanging from the exuvia to hanging from the top. Once she got ahold of it she was good, i really think its the way to go. Though i understand why youre concerned and i appreciate it. I may end up adding sticks, i guess it depends on how things go. I get nervous to use sticks because i worry theyre not going to be good enough for gripping. Its hard to know which sticks to use.
August 14th
Brahma (female Hierodula xishaensis) molted to L5:
I love this shot of her!
August 15th
Groen (female Phyllocrania paradoxa) reached L4:
She's a bit darker but still has patches of green, she looks awesome!
August 16th
GriM (female Pnigomantis medioconstricta) reached adulthood:
(My favorite shot EVER.)
I'm so proud of her, she is fantastic, I couldn't be happier about how she turned out.
Chip (male Hierodula xishaensis) reached L5:
August 17th
Kamakiri (original female Heterochaeta sp.) reached L9:
Already 4", and she's got 2 molts left! Man they've got a lot of molts!
TBC...
Brahma (female Hierodula xishaensis) molted to L5:
I love this shot of her!
August 15th
Groen (female Phyllocrania paradoxa) reached L4:
She's a bit darker but still has patches of green, she looks awesome!
August 16th
GriM (female Pnigomantis medioconstricta) reached adulthood:
(My favorite shot EVER.)
I'm so proud of her, she is fantastic, I couldn't be happier about how she turned out.
Chip (male Hierodula xishaensis) reached L5:
August 17th
Kamakiri (original female Heterochaeta sp.) reached L9:
Already 4", and she's got 2 molts left! Man they've got a lot of molts!
TBC...
Sticky
Well-known member
Chip and Brahma are looking great! Both are so cute. I can tell they like you.
LAME
Tenodera sinensis (the one and only)
Wow, check out GriM's close up! Nice one!
10 molts, but 11 stages! crazy huh?? the most i ever seen was 9 (budwing females) and i thought that was outrageous!
