Gonatista grisea

[lancaster1313]

I will go a little fftopic: with this and say that I think that it is possible for some mantids to survive a couple of our mild cold snaps. I can't be sure about the Gonatista grisea, but I have seen Tenodera sinensis and Stagmomantis carolina that had obviously survived a few cool nights (low50s/possible high 40s) in the mountains of TN. I also heard from a reliable source that a male S. carolina was found alive after some snow in NY.

Around here, it rarely goes down to the 30s. It also warms up quite a bit in the day and can actually get hot.

If we were to have a very mild winter, I think it could be possible to have multiple generations.

I am very tempted to go mantis hunting after a good cold snap! B) :lol:

 

[Rick]

40's is not going to kill them off. It takes a hard freeze.

 

[Mvalenz]

I think that's cool that you can go hunting and find any mantis let alone one so camouflaged. Every time I've gone mantis hunting I came up empty handed. Nice find.

 

[lancaster1313]

40's is not going to kill them off. It takes a hard freeze.

I will definitely have to look for survivors.

We get the occasional morning frost around here, but no hard freeze. In the coastal areas especially, it doesn't get cold enough for that. :tt2:

Only cold enough to kill some iguanas.

 

[aNisip]

This calls for catching some g grisea and keeping them on the screened porch and seeing how they do during the "winter"...and Rick I knew you knew what it meant....just stating the obvious mah bad! ...hopefully we can shed some light on this specie. ..and Adrienne would you want to join me?

 

[lancaster1313]

I would love to catch some G. grisea, but I don't yet know if I can make it on Sunday. I will send you a message when I know.

 

[Malakyoma]

On the topic of hunting for mantids... Tenodera sinensis and Mantis religiosa are native to my area. Now that there's snow on the ground I imagine they're all quite dead, but their ooths have to be out there. There's a nice little forest nearby, was wondering if maybe I should scout it out. Where do you guys typically look when hunting ooths? Any particular height or thickness of branch or something?

 

[aNisip]

During the winter, ooth searching is great! Look at about a little below eye lever to mid thigh (about the height of bushes) ....everything else will be dead and brown and you can easily spot a big ooth...it will look different from the rest of the bush or small tree...

 

[gripen]

Good luck with these Andrew! They are really a beautiful sp. Can the L1s eat mells ok?

 

[aNisip]

Good luck with these Andrew! They are really a beautiful sp. Can the L1s eat mells ok?

I would assume so! But flightless melanos are probably the perfect size, anything bigger might be too big and scare them away; I am not speaking from experience when I say this, but the hatchlings (Gonatista grisea hatchlings) are pretty small so thats why I would recommend flightless melanos...

I would love to catch some G. grisea, but I don't yet know if I can make it on Sunday. I will send you a message when I know.

Alright Adrienne, sounds good!

 

[angelofdeathzz]

People often talk about FF size, but I've only kept Turkish gliders (a form of D hydei) for over 2 years now, and all my nymphs eat them including L1 ant mantis, L1 Orchids, L1 P davisoni, and many many more, I think people have more fear of them eating a larger ff than the mantis do, even at L1 they know they're the predator and the ff is pray. Also I can't count how many times a young mantis caught and ate a BB bigger than itself, forget the fact that the BB was pulling it along at first till it said "fine I'll eat your head, that should slow you down". Were not re-inventing how or what they eat all to much, they've been doing it for millions of years without our help, I think?

Do you know how small a L1 ant mantis is...hydei size, and they ate them no problem.

Sorry if I'm off topic Andrew.

 

[Malakyoma]

People often talk about FF size, but I've only kept Turkish gliders (a form of D hydei) for over 2 years now, and all my nymphs eat them including L1 ant mantis, L1 Orchids, L1 P davisoni, and many many more, I think people have more fear of them eating a larger ff than the mantis do, even at L1 they know they're the predator and the ff is pray. Also I can't count how many times a young mantis caught and ate a BB bigger than itself, forget the fact that the BB was pulling it along at first till it said "fine I'll eat your head, that should slow you down". Were not re-inventing how or what they eat all to much, they've been doing it for millions of years without our help, I think?

Do you know how small a L1 ant mantis is...hydei size, and they ate them no problem.

Sorry if I'm off topic Andrew.

L1 boxers are about the size of the melanos Maybe a hydei is too big.

 

[Rick]

On the topic of hunting for mantids... Tenodera sinensis and Mantis religiosa are native to my area. Now that there's snow on the ground I imagine they're all quite dead, but their ooths have to be out there. There's a nice little forest nearby, was wondering if maybe I should scout it out. Where do you guys typically look when hunting ooths? Any particular height or thickness of branch or something?

Not in a forest. You want to look in areas that are full of weeds. Places that have goldenrod seem to be a good choice usually.

If you guys find G. grisea please consider grabbing a few extra. They are on my most wanted list.

 

[Malakyoma]

Not in a forest. You want to look in areas that are full of weeds. Places that have goldenrod seem to be a good choice usually.

If you guys find G. grisea please consider grabbing a few extra. They are on my most wanted list.

There's already a half foot of snow on the ground, any soft stemmed weeds are dead and gone. I can look where they usually grow, but I dont see why a mantis would lay on those. Will keep in mind when I go out though.

Theres a stretch of sidewalk near my home where Nightshade grows all along the chainlink fence. think thats a good place to look?

 

[Rick]

There's already a half foot of snow on the ground, any soft stemmed weeds are dead and gone. I can look where they usually grow, but I dont see why a mantis would lay on those. Will keep in mind when I go out though.

Theres a stretch of sidewalk near my home where Nightshade grows all along the chainlink fence. think thats a good place to look?

That's why I mentioned goldenrod as they have stiff stems. Not sure if you have them there though. You can look all you want in a forested environment but if you want to really find ooths you need to look in overgrown fields, lots, and yes, fencelines. Those places are often full of feeder insects in the summer as well as mantids that feed on them. When I want to find mantids I don't even think twice about a forested environment, I go straight to the places that are full of thick weeds. And yes they will lay ooths on soft stemmed plants. I have an ooth in my yard right now that I found on a plant that has stems that don't even last until spring, but with snow you will have trouble finding those. Try the fence.

 

[Malakyoma]

That's why I mentioned goldenrod as they have stiff stems. Not sure if you have them there though. You can look all you want in a forested environment but if you want to really find ooths you need to look in overgrown fields, lots, and yes, fencelines. Those places are often full of feeder insects in the summer as well as mantids that feed on them. When I want to find mantids I don't even think twice about a forested environment, I go straight to the places that are full of thick weeds. And yes they will lay ooths on soft stemmed plants. I have an ooth in my yard right now that I found on a plant that has stems that don't even last until spring, but with snow you will have trouble finding those. Try the fence.

That I will thanks I'll update if I find any. Might have to be tomorrow with all the molts today though lol

 

[brancsikia339]

Where i live we already had snow so hunting mantids is out. I went searching a few weeks ago and found 5 tenodera ooths (most look infertile) and a religiosa ooth.

 

[Rick]

Where i live we already had snow so hunting mantids is out. I went searching a few weeks ago and found 5 tenodera ooths (most look infertile) and a religiosa ooth.

How does an ooth look infertile?

 

[Malakyoma]

How does an ooth look infertile?

Maybe its in bad condition. If I found an ooth that looked deflated, flat, maybe a little damp/squishy I would assume it was no good. I'd still incubate but I'd assume the worst.

 

[lancaster1313]

My daughter once found a Tenodera sinensis ootheca that was partially chewed with some algae or moss growing on one side. The thing was semi transparent... but, it hatched!