Ashlee's Collection Thread

[ashleenicole]

A few more pictures of Marfa since she has matured.

 

[Digger]

What a pretty family !  I love the almost iridescent blue on Elf.  Looks like you're doing macro shots (with a 35mm camera?).  Getting any appreciable depth-of-field in macro photography is extremely challenging.  Need tons of bright light so you can make the shots at very high f/stops (16, 22 or higher).  Although I've never been a fan of smartphone "cameras," I'll admit they've come a long way.  And with their teensy weensy lenses, they, by default, shoot at very high f/stops yielding very deep depth-of-field.

 

[ashleenicole]

What a pretty family !  I love the almost iridescent blue on Elf.  Looks like you're doing macro shots (with a 35mm camera?).  Getting any appreciable depth-of-field in macro photography is extremely challenging.  Need tons of bright light so you can make the shots at very high f/stops (16, 22 or higher).  Although I've never been a fan of smartphone "cameras," I'll admit they've come a long way.  And with their teensy weensy lenses, they, by default, shoot at very high f/stops yielding very deep depth-of-field.

Thank you! Elf really is a stunner, which makes up for her not so great personality.  :lol:  As far as equipment goes, I'm using my Nikon D5300 with an 18-55 mm lens right now. I am extremely new to photography, I've only had my DSLR a few months. I'm enjoying it so far though, and I hope that someday I'll be able to take some really beautiful pictures.  

 

[ashleenicole]

I wanted to post an update on my babies. No new pictures right now, things have been crazy busy since the new semester started.

Ridley: Ridley is doing okay. I've had her for over a year now, but I'm not sure exactly how old she is. I'm not sure what instar she was when she came to me, I'll have to dig out my files and see if I can count how many times she molted for me. She doesn't eat as much as she used to, but for the most part she seems to be doing alright for a mantis her age. I've been offering her honey as a treat lately, and she seems to really enjoy it. I recently received the custom ordered illustration I had done of her. It turned out perfectly, and it's currently hanging in our critter room near the mantis enclosures. I love that I'll have a piece of art to remember her by when she passes. I've attached a copy of the piece bellow, all credit goes to Nadilyn Beato.

Elf: Elf has still not laid me an ooth, but she is spending more time on her plants and branches, so I hope that means she's about to finally lay one. If she doesn't lay one soon I'm completely redoing her enclosure in the hopes that she will finally find a spot she likes. 

Marfa: Marfa is doing great since her final molt. She's being moved to a larger enclosure later this week, I've just got to get to the pet store to purchase larger plants and vines. 

Petal: Petal was recently shipped off to his new home where he will have a mate. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he can get the job done!

 

[Sarah K]

Glad to hear everyone is doing okay! I hope Elf lays for you soon! I am also glad Petal has the opportunity to mate. Best of luck to him.

 

[CosbyArt]

Your girl Marfa has really gotten a even greener coloration since her final molt, she is a stunner. Nice memento for your pet Ridley, interesting to see the artist uses traditional mediums (colored pencils it seems primarily). Sorry to see Elf is being stubborn, does she even appear gravid?

It's not mentioned, but how is Tripod? Did you ever figure out if it's male or female?

 

[ashleenicole]

Sorry to see Elf is being stubborn, does she even appear gravid?

It's not mentioned, but how is Tripod? Did you ever figure out if it's male or female?

@Sarah K @CosbyArt Thank you both! I think Marfa is absolutely beautiful, her coloration really surprised me because she was pretty dull for a long time. And I'm pretty sure that Elf is gravid, she is incredibly swollen in her abdomen and nothing relieves it.  As far as I know Tripod is doing well. I ended up selling all of my P. spurca because I found I didn't have enough time for everyone with my new schedule. I'm really happy with my numbers right now, having three allows me to really spend time with each of them every day and make sure all their needs are met. To me they're not just a collection, they're pets.

 

[CosbyArt]

I don't blame you there, I much more enjoy when I have a smaller number of mantids than crazy numbers (single digit amounts). Speaking of which I have only one right now, a Chinese female I rescued when mowing recently (her wing got damaged).

I do though have seven jumping spiders, isopod colonies, a Vinegaroon, and some other various things (and three different feeder cultures), so I have plenty to care for.

Sorry to hear that about your girl Elf. If it has been this long already she may be eggbound, but hopefully you can get her to lay. It is a problem that still isn't fully understood by the hobby community.

 

[ashleenicole]

I don't blame you there, I much more enjoy when I have a smaller number of mantids than crazy numbers (single digit amounts). Speaking of which I have only one right now, a Chinese female I rescued when mowing recently (her wing got damaged).

I do though have seven jumping spiders, isopod colonies, a Vinegaroon, and some other various things (and three different feeder cultures), so I have plenty to care for.

Sorry to hear that about your girl Elf. If it has been this long already she may be eggbound, but hopefully you can get her to lay. It is a problem that still isn't fully understood by the hobby community.

Oh yeah, we have plenty of pets to keep us busy as well! In addition to the three mantids, I also have 9 tarantulas, a corn snake, and our dachshund. I love being able to spend a few minutes with each mantis everyday, it's very relaxing for me. I think I'll be keeping my numbers in the single digits as well as far as mantids go, at my most I had 9 and I felt stressed with so many little ones to look after. 

And thanks for the kind words about Elf. She seems healthy enough other than being possibly eggbound. I'm just trying to keep her comfortable at this point and hope she lays. 

 

[ashleenicole]

A quick update, Ridley isn't doing too well and I'm afraid that she might be nearing the end of her life. She no longer has the strength to hang from her lid, and she has started to refuse food when I offer it to her. I'm going to see if she'll take some honey later. 

 

[Sticky]

If she can still drink, give her some room temperature whole milk. Most mantids like it. It has worked well.

 

[ashleenicole]

If she can still drink, give her some room temperature whole milk. Most mantids like it. It has worked well.

Thank you for the advice! All we have right now is 2 percent, but I'll pick up some whole milk later today and see if she likes it. 

 

[Sticky]

I kept my mantis Sticky going with it and honey and bee pollen too.

 

[ashleenicole]

So, Ridley is still alive somehow. There have been a few points that I thought she was gone, but she still keeps hanging on. She took a cricket yesterday, I had a few extras after feeding the spiders and decided to offer her one. She drinks a lot and will occasionally eat. She no longer hangs from the lid, she isn't strong enough anymore. I simplified her enclosure and put her plant closer to the ground in case she falls off of it.

Elf still refuses to lay, but is as feisty as ever. She still attacks my feeding tongs when I offer her food, and her appetite is still great.

Marfa is doing well, her new enclosure is almost finished.

I'm getting the itch for another baby mantis, I just need to decide which species to try next. 

 

[CosbyArt]

Glad to hear all are doing well, at least as they can.

It is amazing Elf is doing so well, perhaps she isn't eggbound and just a plump girl with a condition where she can't lay ooths (or develop any). I can't say I've heard of that before, but it is possible and would explain how she is going strong still after so much time has elapsed.

....

I'm getting the itch for another baby mantis, I just need to decide which species to try next. 

I just recently acquired a new species myself, the New Zealand mantis (Orthodera novaezealandiae) from a trade with a forum member. Two of their thorax large hoods are already looking great with their recent molts to L3, another I have is still at L2 and it's hood is tiny.

I think the trick to new species is finding what is currently available; although, this time of year there should be plenty you haven't had yet. Best of luck finding a new baby (or several).

 

[ashleenicole]

Glad to hear all are doing well, at least as they can.

It is amazing Elf is doing so well, perhaps she isn't eggbound and just a plump girl with a condition where she can't lay ooths (or develop any). I can't say I've heard of that before, but it is possible and would explain how she is going strong still after so much time has elapsed.

Who knows what's going on with Elf, I've given up trying to explain it.  :huh:  She is doing well still, eating and hanging from her lid as always. I'm thinking of maybe switching up her enclosure once more to see if she'll lay, but at this point I don't know if it would do any good. Marfa recently laid me two infertile ooths, and she seems to be really enjoying her new enclosure.   

Ridley is not doing well, she has been with us a year and one month, but I'm afraid her time with us may be ending soon. She is very weak and no longer takes any food I offer. She doesn't move around much, it seems like she can't. I honestly hope she passes quickly and soon, because I don't know how long it's humane to let her live like this. 

 

[CosbyArt]

Who knows what's going on with Elf, I've given up trying to explain it.  :huh:  She is doing well still, eating and hanging from her lid as always. I'm thinking of maybe switching up her enclosure once more to see if she'll lay, but at this point I don't know if it would do any good. Marfa recently laid me two infertile ooths, and she seems to be really enjoying her new enclosure.   

Ridley is not doing well, she has been with us a year and one month, but I'm afraid her time with us may be ending soon. She is very weak and no longer takes any food I offer. She doesn't move around much, it seems like she can't. I honestly hope she passes quickly and soon, because I don't know how long it's humane to let her live like this. 

Sounds like your keeping her happy, and is perhaps the best that can be done. Glad to hear Marfa is enjoying the new enclosure. It's always a gamble if they will love it, or be like a old man and hate the change haha.

Sorry about Ridley. Perhaps she will soon, especially if she's refusing food. I know it seems my older ones always seem to pass on during the night (I guess in their sleep) which seems peaceful. If she is doing the best she can, and not showing any overly stress/discomfort signs, I would let her go when she's ready.

 

[ashleenicole]

Sorry about Ridley. Perhaps she will soon, especially if she's refusing food. I know it seems my older ones always seem to pass on during the night (I guess in their sleep) which seems peaceful. If she is doing the best she can, and not showing any overly stress/discomfort signs, I would let her go when she's ready.

Thank you for the advice. I didn't mean to sound cruel when I said I hope she passes soon, the last thing I want is to lose her. She is my favorite mantis and has made an incredible little pet. I just hate to see her so inactive and having such difficulty with mobility, it's hard to see her like this and remember what she used to be like.  

 

[CosbyArt]

Thank you for the advice. I didn't mean to sound cruel when I said I hope she passes soon, the last thing I want is to lose her. She is my favorite mantis and has made an incredible little pet. I just hate to see her so inactive and having such difficulty with mobility, it's hard to see her like this and remember what she used to be like.  

No problem, I thought as much and I didn't think you were cruel. Indeed their passing can be rough (to non-mantis keepers it may be silly, but even my wife names a few she misses and she has nothing to do with them but knew their names and would occasionally look in at them). I have several that I still miss and always will.

The hardest thing is watching them deteriorate. My first mantis Susanna (Stagmomantis carolina) literally passed sitting in my hands (she never would let me hold her until then), and it took a few hours too. I found her with her walking legs all folded in, but she was still trying to crawl around and seemed like she didn't understand what was happening.

Well, for a positive spin, I did get to raise several of her babies (the first showed up 11 days after she died), as she gave me many ooths.

 

[ashleenicole]

It has been awhile since I updated, mainly because I've been so busy with my brother's wedding and school! Sadly, Ridley passed away recently. She was with us for about 13 months, and I am so grateful for the time we got to spend with her. She was the perfect little mantis, and she was a great introduction to the hobby. I miss her a lot, but I'm glad she's not suffering anymore.

Elf is doing alright, although she hasn't laid any ooths. Her abdomen is very swollen, but she still takes food. 

Marfa is doing great, so far she has laid me three infertile ooths. She seems to love her new enclosure, and her appetite is fantastic. 

I'm currently thinking about going with a Hierodula sp. "Gold" for my next nymph.