Cool Thought

[sinensispsyched]

Has anyone ever tried to get albino ghost mantises by environmental influence?

For example, you could raise a ghost with papier mache covered twigs, and have there be no color within the enclosure. If the ghost wanted to camouflage and capture prey, it may gradually turn white to match its environments.

If you haven't tried, do you think it would work? If I get a second generation of ghosts, I will try!

 

[PhilinYuma]

Albinism is genetically, not environmentally mediated. For a useful discussion, see the section on genetics here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albinism#Genetics

 

[hibiscusmile]

havent heard of anyone doin, so go head!

 

[Termite48]

Are you thinking that if you eliminate the color in the environment of a given pair of Ghosts, breed them, you get white offspring? Will they loose their ability to camouflage themselves when the time comes for them to do it? What about their offspring being raised in a brown and green environment. Will they be out of luck? It makes good conversation, till you read the literature.

 

[Precarious]

In my experience Ghost color is a random genetic attribute. I've heard many users in the past telling me they were breeding only their green females in the hope of producing only green young. I wished them luck and told them I doubt very much they would succeed. I was never contacted saying they had any success.

I believe the environmental influence of coloration is possible in very few species and I've seen no evidence Ghosts are one of them. I also believe its effects are exaggerated.

Experiments like these have been tried countless times, and, with Ghosts being one of the most common species in the hobby, you can bet we would have heard if someone had stumbled onto a viable method.

But, best of luck to you!

 

[CoolMantid]

I thought the temp. and humidity had to do with it?

 

[Krissim Klaw]

For your method to work you would have to be culling the ones that blend in the least and breeding the ones closest to your ideal. The lack of camouflage only becomes a problem if you are being eaten or unable to catch prey because of it. This is not something that our captive mantises would be plagued with.

That being said, I would be curious to see what selective breeding of certain traits could do over time if someone ever decides to put in the time and patience it would take.