can u help me identify the *** of 9 orchid mantids

[macro junkie]

1/9 has just shed to 3rd instar..can u help me identify a few of them so i can house the males in a cooler room.il go take pic of #1 which shed to 3rd instar today.

 

[Rick]

Sure but where are the pics? You really don't have to seperate the males into a cooler area. Yes, they will mature faster but live long enough to mate with your females. I've hever encountered a problem with this.

 

[mrblue]

1/9 has just shed to 3rd instar..can u help me identify a few of them so i can house the males in a cooler room.il go take pic of #1 which shed to 3rd instar today.

with your macro lens they should be fairly easy to identify. try to get a shot of the underside of the tip of the abdomen, the last few segments at the tip.

 

[tier]

Hi

There is this beautiful chinise page mantida posted once. I think mantida can help you with this excellent page. Otherwise I will search it for you.

regards

 

[acerbity]

I've got it bookmarked

here

also here

 

[mrblue]

maybe tier meant this?:

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/orchid-mantis/a...p;l=f&fid=6

also same method here:

http://mantisphotos.com/sexinghymenopus.htm

EDIT: beat me to it!

 

[macro junkie]

Sure but where are the pics? You really don't have to seperate the males into a cooler area. Yes, they will mature faster but live long enough to mate with your females. I've hever encountered a problem with this.

i was told if u leave both males and females in same room the male will die before the female is adult.il get the pics now just uploading.

 

[mrblue]

i was told if u leave both males and females in same room the male will die before the female is adult.il get the pics now just uploading.

i'm not sure that the situation is quite that critical, but then i have never bred this species. bear in mind temperature is not the only way to change growth rate. if youre dead set on having them grow at different speeds then you could just alter the amount of food you offer. tbis would work just as well i reckon.

 

[tier]

The situation is as critical. Haven't you seen Marius Pohl's and my pictures??? The male is adult several larval stages before the female. I think 3 or 4??? You should keep the males at 22-24°C daytime and feed as less as you can. Just make sure they stay alive, not more!

And keep the females at 26-28°C daytime. And overfeed her any time!

I would light them 12 hours, as they are located directely at the Äuqutor and have 12h lights per day at natural circumstances.

Feed only fliey and feed the flies with honey.

Good luck MJ

edit:

I think again Rick is rhight, too: If you are able to offer a lot of food, maybe the female will eat much more food at the same time the male will eat less food. That means they will become adult maybe at the same time more or less. But you are on the secured side if you slow down the males. Remember: Summer is comming and adult males kept at 30°C+ will day quickly.

Regards,

 

[tier]

 

[Malnra]

The situation is as critical. Haven't you seen Marius Pohl's and my pictures??? The male is adult several larval stages before the female. I think 3 or 4??? You should keep the males at 22-24°C daytime and feed as less as you can. Just make sure they stay alive, not more!And keep the females at 26-28°C daytime. And overfeed her any time!

I would light them 12 hours, as they are located directely at the Äuqutor and have 12h lights per day at natural circumstances.

Feed only fliey and feed the flies with honey.

Good luck MJ

if it is so critical, how do they breed in the wild ? seems to me nature works so why would one have to alter temps and food intake ?

 

[macro junkie]

Heres #1

it shed to 3rd instar today before all the rest.sorry for the crappy pics..hopfully u can tell from the pics..if not i can get more.

 

[macro junkie]

show off

 

[mrblue]

first one looks male to me.

 

[tier]

You do not really think that nature allowes a male and a female out of the same ootheca to mate?!?! that's why they have different sizes: Mechanism agains imbreeding. Sorry, no good question -_-

Yes, show off, you got me

<_<

 

[Rob Byatt]

if it is so critical, how do they breed in the wild ? seems to me nature works so why would one have to alter temps and food intake ?

This suggests that all ootheca hatch at the same time in the wild, which is obviously daft

One point to make here, how many people here can actually say that they are qualified to comment on the breeding of this species, ie. they have bred it for successive generations ?

Cool the males down.

That is a male in the picture - sexing by segments is not necessary at this age, just compare leg lobes.

 

[mrblue]

EDIT:

 

[macro junkie]

This suggests that all ootheca hatch at the same time in the wild, which is obviously daft One point to make here, how many people here can actually say that they are qualified to comment on the breeding of this species, ie. they have bred it for successive generations ?

Cool the males down.

That is a male in the picture - sexing by segments is not necessary at this age, just compare leg lobes.

1 down 8 to go.. ..what is best temp to cool the males at?

 

[Malnra]

is it safe to say that we dont have to worry about dropping an ooth in a place where that species does not exist because they cant mate with each other ? no ecosystem damage after the first generation ?

Has anyone here mated mantis out of the same ooth without using cooling/slow feeding techniques ?