Gongylus gongylodes

[Andrew]

Great pics and great mantids!

As for the talk about the ootheca, a cricket-only diet supposedly messes up how the foam on the ooth forms, or something along those lines.

 

[robo mantis]

Anyone culturing them in America? By the way Beautiful mantids!

 

[tier]

"I need more food!"

Hi everyone, especially Hi ThorE.

Well, some people do fine with them over here in Germany. But unfortuanetly the good-father of Gongylus, Sören, who was breeding them for much more than 10 years (yes, much more than 10 years!!!) over here, is not able to breed them any longer. The genpool should be pretty good, thanks to Sören

Again I bartered some nymphs with other breeders to keep the geenpool, but I hope it is not only a question of time that this species will dissapear. While the last of mine oothecas are hatching, the next subadult should molt adult the next days and a friend of mine was lucky and she's got some paired females which already started oohteca-production.

"We need more food!"

here comes the new food ;-)

Best regards,

tier

 

[spawn]

Correct me, but it appears as though you are feeding one Violin Mantis another Violin Mantis in those pictures? The first one looks like the bigger one already ripped part of the body off of the smaller one and has the chunk in his left claw?

 

[ThorEH]

Blow the pic up, and you will see that the big one has got a flie in his claws

 

[Mantida]

Blow the pic up, and you will see that the big one has got a flie in his claws

All I see is another violin mantis with a smaller one's body and head in its claws.

 

[Mantida]

"I need more food!"Hi everyone, especially Hi ThorE.

Well, some people do fine with them over here in Germany. But unfortuanetly the good-father of Gongylus, Sören, who was breeding them for much more than 10 years (yes, much more than 10 years!!!) over here, is not able to breed them any longer. The genpool should be pretty good, thanks to Sören

Again I bartered some nymphs with other breeders to keep the geenpool, but I hope it is not only a question of time that this species will dissapear. While the last of mine oothecas are hatching, the next subadult should molt adult the next days and a friend of mine was lucky and she's got some paired females which already started oohteca-production.

"We need more food!"

here comes the new food ;-)

Best regards,

tier

I hope you aren't referring to that you're feeding the newly hatched violin nymphs to the bigger ones... :mellow:

 

[ThorEH]

All I see is another violin mantis with a smaller one's body and head in its claws.

Sorry, I was lookin at the picture underneath. Off course you're right

 

[tier]

Hi

Yes, I do feed all my animals with Gongylus.







No man! Of course I do not use Gongylus as food!!!

For sure not!

The pictures are showing special situations I wanted to share with you. Please let me explain the photos:

I keep nymphs of several instars together in enclosures. This is no problem because they are not agressive towards each other, but of course there are very few accidents sometimes. Instar 1 is very active and moving around. Even if there are enough flies in the enclosure, sometimes they are captured by older nymphs. In the picture you can see that the older ("killer-") nymph is very fat and should not be hungry. But accidents happen.

The second picture is showing two animals who have captured the same fly. This is happenig pretty often but is not necessaryly a problem.

The third picture is showing some hatchlings. The title "here comes new food" was just a little joke

And the newly posted pictures are showing a very old "three-legged" male. He was already fighting with his death and so he became the food of Rhacodactylus chahoua.

Best regards again,

tier

 

[ThorEH]

Very interesting pics Tier, but please find another host for your pictures... it's so annoying with all the commercial on you host

Would recommend Flickr.com

 

[tier]

Hi

Yes, I hate the commercials, either. I wil try to use the host you pointed out. Thank you.

Regards,

tier

 

[Mantida]

HiYes, I do feed all my animals with Gongylus.







No man! Of course I do not use Gongylus as food!!!

For sure not!

The pictures are showing special situations I wanted to share with you. Please let me explain the photos:

I keep nymphs of several instars together in enclosures. This is no problem because they are not agressive towards each other, but of course there are very few accidents sometimes. Instar 1 is very active and moving around. Even if there are enough flies in the enclosure, sometimes they are captured by older nymphs. In the picture you can see that the older ("killer-") nymph is very fat and should not be hungry. But accidents happen.

The second picture is showing two animals who have captured the same fly. This is happenig pretty often but is not necessaryly a problem.

The third picture is showing some hatchlings. The title "here comes new food" was just a little joke

And the newly posted pictures are showing a very old "three-legged" male. He was already fighting with his death and so he became the food of Rhacodactylus chahoua.

Best regards again,

tier

Haha. Alright. 'Cuz I was beginning to think you were a bit crazy to feed gongylodes to gongylodes and other animals. :blink: :lol:

Are you currently breeding this species?

 

[spawn]

Haha, just making sure. Nothing was more blatantly stupid to me than someone coming on saying he was afraid the species was dwindling in captivity, and then showing us pictures of Violins being killed by their own kind. But yeah, I totally understand the situation and the pictures are very cool and justified. Thank for sharing.

Where are you located Tier?

 

[tier]

Hi

@mantida: Yes, I do breed them in the moment. I have about 100 nymphs left. It is a mix of every instar and both sexes.

The other nymphs from this generation are already sold, but I still have about 10 oothecas left which should hatch the next days.

@spawn: I'm located in Duisburg, Germany.

By the way: It is not possible to send oothecas or nymphs, I am sorry. I will start selling again in spring because of the temperatures which are too low till spring.

Best regards,

tier

 

[Mantida]

Hi@mantida: Yes, I do breed them in the moment. I have about 100 nymphs left. It is a mix of every instar and both sexes.

The other nymphs from this generation are already sold, but I still have about 10 oothecas left which should hatch the next days.

@spawn: I'm located in Duisburg, Germany.

By the way: It is not possible to send oothecas or nymphs, I am sorry. I will start selling again in spring because of the temperatures which are too low till spring.

Best regards,

tier

Yes, I can imagine it's pretty chilly in Germany now. In the spring will you ship to the US?

 

[tier]

Hi

Thank you for you interest. But I don't know yet.

If have no expirience in sending mantids for so far distances. One time I sold 20 Idolomorpha to Poland, which is not so far from Germany, and all died.

I've heard that some friends of mine have good experience with trading oothecas, but for various reasons I HATE selling or buying oothecas.

Well, if I will get enough nymphs, We can try to let them travel or there is another possibility:

I will sell some nymphs to Lars. I know some of you guys already know him. He's a number one breeder and seller in Germany and he has big experience with sending mantids for far distances. I will give him some animals and he will be able to send them worldwide. His page is www.mantisanddragons.com , but I guess in the moment he has no Gongylus left, I'm sorry. But hes got al lot of cheap mantids of different kinds in perfect conditions. H always offers Gongylus in between.

By the way: You should keep them at at least 26°C at night and 40°C at daytime. Light for 12 hours. In nighttime I use heating-cables underneath the enclosures. Diet: Mine have never seeing something else than flies, any kinds of flies. Feeding crickets to Gongylus is killing the Gongylus! And they need big areas for air-circulation. Keeping them in closed boxes with less fresh air is also killing them. If You follow these three points, they do well: Very hot, very lot fresh air, only flies.

And like every Empusidae they are not able to climb glass. Infact you need lot of thin twigs.

Regards,

tier

 

[Mantida]

HiThank you for you interest. But I don't know yet.

If have no expirience in sending mantids for so far distances. One time I sold 20 Idolomorpha to Poland, which is not so far from Germany, and all died.

I've heard that some friends of mine have good experience with trading oothecas, but for various reasons I HATE selling or buying oothecas.

Well, if I will get enough nymphs, We can try to let them travel or there is another possibility:

I will sell some nymphs to Lars. I know some of you guys already know him. He's a number one breeder and seller in Germany and he has big experience with sending mantids for far distances. I will give him some animals and he will be able to send them worldwide. His page is www.mantisanddragons.com , but I guess in the moment he has no Gongylus left, I'm sorry. But hes got al lot of cheap mantids of different kinds in perfect conditions. H always offers Gongylus in between.

By the way: You should keep them at at least 26°C at night and 40°C at daytime. Light for 12 hours. In nighttime I use heating-cables underneath the enclosures. Diet: Mine have never seeing something else than flies, any kinds of flies. Feeding crickets to Gongylus is killing the Gongylus! And they need big areas for air-circulation. Keeping them in closed boxes with less fresh air is also killing them. If You follow these three points, they do well: Very hot, very lot fresh air, only flies.

And like every Empusidae they are not able to climb glass. Infact you need lot of thin twigs.

Regards,

tier

I understand perfectly. I've never sent mantids long distance, yet alone even sold them before.

I don't think I'm at the level to take on Gongylodes also, as I am not a super mantid breeder and Idols are a challenge. So, probably whenever you are ready to send out mantids long distance or send them to Lars I will be ready for Idols.

 

[ThorEH]

Now at L4.. just gettin more and more fascinating !

 

[ThorEH]

 

[Kruszakus]

HiThank you for you interest. But I don't know yet.

If have no expirience in sending mantids for so far distances. One time I sold 20 Idolomorpha to Poland, which is not so far from Germany, and all died.

Well, obviously they all died because you did not give them anything to eat.