Availabilty of Idolomantis diabolica in USA

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I am always warning from buying WC ooths of this species. Besides of conservation issues, you don't know the origin in the meanwhile, and in most cases you get hatched ooths. It's like the good old gold-rush: someone gets a good one and subsequently, everyone wants one, but most don't get good ones. In the end, you have spent more bucks on dead ooths than you would have spent if you bought some captive bred nymphs, besides of the fact that you get the necessary information then. One may ask why people still engage in trading ooths from Africa, when considering that the only one who makes his deal, laughing at you, is the African dealer. The problem may be that people are less interested in just adding this species to their culture than making money of them. So, if you ask me, this is nature exploitation and all you guys don't deserve it better! Don't take me wrong, I am also selling this species, making some bucks, which helps me sustain my hobby - but it is the result of my own work, of my own 5-year long efforts. What all these traders do is just trying to make money from WC animals, and this is not what the hobby should be. Particularly those who fail due to a lack of experience should better "consume" captive bred specimens than WC ones. But, as I said, getting this species to one's collection isn't the only aspect, otherwise this market with African dealers/frauders would not persist. The sense of importing WC aninals is to get them into culture - once there are in culture it isn't necessary to import more! Some people should think about this. What happened to all those successful Idolomantis hatches? What happened to Heterochaeta? Some species should be restricted to people who know what they're doing until they were "cracked" and are availeble to the public and should be not exploited from nature by persons who have one paradoxa and one wahlbergii at home. I know that this lines will not be liked by the guys I mean, but it's equal to me if someone likes it or not. It had to be said. Sometimes I am really disgusted by the trend that the hobby is following today. And all this in times when some radical politicians think of prohibiting any exotic animal at home. I think it's already reality in the US and hanging as a Damocles sword in Europe already.
+2!

 
I personally don't see the big deal over this species other than the hype of it being hard to get. When you're told you can't have it, you want it more. There are so many great mantids in the hobby already. If the species is being threatened because the ooths are being over harvested, maybe people in the hobby should back off it. Or maybe they will after being ripped off enough by these dealers.
You ever had this species? Like, for a longer period of time, that would allow you to see how they grow and so on?

 
I dont think really any insect is stupid, they do what God designed for them to do, when we interfere, the enviorment cannot really be duplicated, so they have to adjust to us, and that does not always work. So when it doesn't happen we consider that they are stupid, hummmm ^_^

 
I'd rather prefer to say "what evolution designed for them to do"... But, ok, this isn't an issue to be discussed here. ;)

 
any religious issues should be a taboo topic:D
[SIZE=14pt]Why be sides being off topic.[/SIZE]

Now my Ooths didn't hatch but besides they arn't Idolomantis they where the Giant flower he had, but you think out of all of the Ooth sold more would of hatched.

Oh I had A thought Cristian what are the differentences in the 2 kinds of Idolomantis that you had talked about earlyer in this topic and are there any different with these that are from Tazania,

keep in mine I am asking this to see if cross breeding is a bad thing?

 
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Sincerily, we don't know. But this may well be the explanation, only adding that the different strains/stocks also require different conditions. It cartainly has also something to do with the distance between different collecting locations. Only 2 stocks actually in culture have a somewhat traceable origin, that is the Mwanza stock and the new Kenya stock. The first (now extinct) Kenya stock and also the extinct Moshi stock were incompatible with Mwanza specimens. We didn't try crossings again, as keeping our functioning stock healthy had priority.
[SIZE=14pt]Ok let me try it this way now what is the differentences of the Kenya, Mwanza, and Tanzania?[/SIZE]

Seriously, ArkBlue, your gibberish is hard to read and hard to understand.
[SIZE=14pt]I sorry my Dyflexia pops up more some time then others[/SIZE]

 
Christian,

I think that comment was completely unnecessary. Doesn't relate to the topic at all - not to mention you know it will only start some kind of argument.

 
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There aren't any obvious differences between the stocks, at least not morphological ones. That's the problem: it is not known why some stocks seem to be incompatible, as they look similar. Crossbreeding should be avoided anyway, becaue it diminishes the local pecularities of certain stocks (e. g. size, ethology). All you get is a very boring, "globalized" mantid, as seen in most Ps. wahlbergii and Ph. paradoxa.

 
I dont think really any insect is stupid, they do what God designed for them to do, when we interfere, the enviorment cannot really be duplicated, so they have to adjust to us, and that does not always work. So when it doesn't happen we consider that they are stupid, hummmm ^_^
I always thought that the name indicated, that I. diabolica were satan's unholy minions.

 
Before we all get completely off topic here, Christian brings up a really good point (outside of the importance of captive breeding) that shouldn't be ignored.

Sometimes I am really disgusted by the trend that the hobby is following today. And all this in times when some radical politicians think of prohibiting any exotic animal at home. I think it's already reality in the US and hanging as a Damocles sword in Europe already.
The US just dodged HR669 only to have it come back again as HR2811, and it's going to keep coming back. Special interest groups like the HSUS and the Nature Conservancy take in a combined 1.3 billion dollars a year, they don't want you keeping any pets, and they're doing everything they can to put that into action. Anyone keeping an exotic pet (doesn't matter which side of the pond you're on) should look up what kind of legislation is going on and find out what they can do to help stop it. We don't have enough of a voice.

I personally don't see the big deal over this species other than the hype of it being hard to get.
You've clearly never seen this species up close and personal, or you wouldn't be saying something like that. :p

 
I am going to end this thread!!!! It is getting way too off topic. Maybe you guys can start another thread on "Differences in Idolomantis diabolica stock", "Insects are stupid" and "ArkBlue's Gibblish"??

 
how about a campain to force or a vote to have arkblue to change his text color or something?

 
how about a campain to force or a vote to have arkblue to change his text color or something?
[SIZE=14pt]Now that is off topic, and beside then what if I want you to change your name or something on your post then you would have to, and then if John or Joe, and Tammy asked for you to wright in bold pink, that would suck and just be dumb it would rewright freedom! :D isnt that right Rick.[/SIZE]

 

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