CosbyArt mantid thread

[CosbyArt]

The Carolina female (Stagmomantis carolina) I captured/rescued on November 7th died today. She laid three ooths total, and of course her last ooth was tiny compared to her previous ones - as that seems to be common sign from wild captured mantids.

The cycle of life though showed itself today, the death of my last adult female then another ooth hatching later.

The wild Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) ooth I collected on November 11th, is currently hatching (33 days incubated (just a few weeks of cold temps outside)). The photos are a bit discolored/rougher than usual as all the lights were off already for the night (the "bug" lights on the timer and room lights) as my wife was in bed, so I did the best I could. You can tell though from their nearly white colored bodies they just freshly hatched and haven't hardened yet - I figured it was worth bad lighting to get the shot of the new babies.

 

[Sarah K]

Congrats on the hatch! 

 

[Kermit]

Cosby... What's in the cup? Sponge for humidity?

Congrats on the hatch

 

[Storm&bugfreak]

@CosbyArt Congrats on the hatch! I just recently purchased an ooth online from a trusted site and should arrive at my house in the next day or two. I think it's winterized too! I'm definitely going to take another try at this and this time, I'm going to leave them together until they're all around L2/L3.

As for my current hatch, I am down to one T.sinensis... Milo. All the rest have died from improper molting with one that managed to jump onto my space heater and paralyze four of it's back legs with only its raptures working.. I just froze him and put him out of his misery.  Milo however is doing fantastic! He's an L5 now and has been molting nearly every week now! And I bet he'll be molting here soon as he's not eating and he's completely plump and his wing buds are starting to pop out more.. And as always the twitching is going on. Very brilliant fella though! It knows exactly when I'm going to feed him.. He's even been aggressive enough to snag a dead fruit fly that accidentally fell into his cage!

Good luck with your current hatches! If you're willing to sell some when they're older, definitely let me know!  I definitely wouldn't mind getting a hold of a female to mate with my male and get a couple eggs to leave in my yard next spring!

 

[CosbyArt]

Congrats on the hatch! 

Cosby... What's in the cup? Sponge for humidity?

Congrats on the hatch

Thank you both.

The 2oz cup originally held the ooth, and apparently was left behind after I transferred the ooth to the container, oops.

@CosbyArt Congrats on the hatch! I just recently purchased an ooth online from a trusted site and should arrive at my house in the next day or two. I think it's winterized too! I'm definitely going to take another try at this and this time, I'm going to leave them together until they're all around L2/L3.

As for my current hatch, I am down to one T.sinensis... Milo. All the rest have died from improper molting with one that managed to jump onto my space heater and paralyze four of it's back legs with only its raptures working.. I just froze him and put him out of his misery.  Milo however is doing fantastic! He's an L5 now and has been molting nearly every week now! And I bet he'll be molting here soon as he's not eating and he's completely plump and his wing buds are starting to pop out more.. And as always the twitching is going on. Very brilliant fella though! It knows exactly when I'm going to feed him.. He's even been aggressive enough to snag a dead fruit fly that accidentally fell into his cage!

Good luck with your current hatches! If you're willing to sell some when they're older, definitely let me know!  I definitely wouldn't mind getting a hold of a female to mate with my male and get a couple eggs to leave in my yard next spring!

Thanks, and best of luck to you as well with your ooth.

Sadly it happens sometimes, perhaps due to the extremely dry humidity due to the heaters, or just a batch of weak nymphs. Great to hear you have one survivor, and sounds like he was one to keep for a pet anyway.

Sure, if I get some excess nymphs when they reach L3 or L4 I'll post a ad in the classifieds too, but your get first pick. If your male is that old now already I will not have a female of breeding age for your male though, sorry to say. Perhaps if you run a ad you will find him a date that way.

 

[CosbyArt]

Lots of time and pets have come and gone since I started this thread, and few even made it here then. I thought it was a fitting place though to put my newest mantid pets that I have had in awhile.

A Carolina ooth (Stagmomantis carolina) I collected in my backyard January 8th decided to finally hatch earlier today, 54 days later. Being a local wild ooth I was amazed not a single parasitic wasp emerged either which happens too commonly here.

54 days is rather long as freezing temps started here October 29, 2017, which was 72 days before I collected the ooth so it had plenty of diapause. My wife Melinda thought it was a dud about a week ago, but with some captive Carolina ooths I had previously hatched 98 days later (no diapause) I was still waiting patiently. Although, 6-8 weeks is typically the hatch time frame for them and they are just shy of 8 weeks. Speaking of times the longest I've had was the last Brunner's mantis (Brunneria borealis) nymph that hatched 337 days after I got that ooth.

This ooth is a rather large one (likely the first, or very early ooth for the mother) and over 40 nymphs hatched out. I plan to get them housed individually in a week or so, and I'll do a count then and more photos. Still a favorite species of mine, and one I am know for due to their local population here.

 

[Ocelotbren]

337 days, wow!  Your nymphs are very cute though.  I think I can even see one cleaning its antenna already in the second picture.

 

[CosbyArt]

@Ocelotbren  The Brunneria borealis I read can hatch slowly up to two years, Yen_Saw's log shows his was 6 months (180 days). Trying to find the original time source though was unsuccessful, details for the species is vary sparse online besides some sellers.

I see that in the photo now, indeed one on the left side is cleaning it's antenna; A nice added bonus.

 

[Mantis Lady]

Cute little mantis babies, but what are you going to do with so many mantids?

 

[CosbyArt]

Cute little mantis babies, but what are you going to do with so many mantids?

Thanks, ha if one ooth scares me it is time for me to get out of the hobby though.

I've hatched nine ooths at one time once, but typically do four ooths or so depending. I also kept about 80 adult mantids before, so numbers isn't a problem. I admit I am in no hurry to keep that many again though, it was a lot of work.

Sadly of course not all nymphs will survive to L2 from birthing defects, molting issues, etc. so the number is never what one see's from a hatch. Personally I plan to keep somewhere around a dozen nymphs, several have also been spoken for by other members, and the rest will be released outdoors where the ooth came from (in a few weeks depending on temps, as it is nearly spring here). The nymphs should be about the same age as my local population too as my area wild ooths will be hatching soon naturally.

Speaking of which if anyone has sent me a post or PM from my previous hatches and want some Carolina nymphs send me a new PM as I will likely have some nymphs left. I can never keep track who is wanting some, as I rarely post classified ads, because everyone sees my hatches and just asks.

 

[CosbyArt]

Of course in feeding them their first Melanogaster FF I couldn't resist taking some photos too. Inspired by the photos of Piotr Naskrecki, I took several photos (like the one above) and hope to put something together of the instars of my Carolina nymphs to scale. A few other nymphs enjoying a meal are shown below.

 

[Ocelotbren]

Cool picture, I look forward to seeing the whole series once they grow up.

 

[Serle]

The first feedings are always a hoot. The little guys aren't sure weather to attack or run . 

 

[CosbyArt]

Cool picture, I look forward to seeing the whole series once they grow up.

Thanks, and I do as well.

The first feedings are always a hoot. The little guys aren't sure weather to attack or run . 

That it was, but most grabbed up a Mel as soon as one crawled by. Of course a few nymphs acted like they were under attack and ran, and a few even jumped off the lid to avoid them.