Graceface's Mantis family

[danl82]

Those orchids are lovely, especially that super pink male.

 

[MantisGirl13]

Wow! That really is HOT pink! He is beautiful!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Graceface]

Thanks everyone! Domenic has always been super pink and super small, I'm glad he retained the pink. Its hard to see, but even his head looks pink! He is my best hope for mating, as he is the youngest male right now. It may be 6 weeks before I have a mature adult female, barring any issues. 

 

[MantisGirl13]

Thanks everyone! Domenic has always been super pink and super small, I'm glad he retained the pink. Its hard to see, but even his head looks pink! He is my best hope for mating, as he is the youngest male right now. It may be 6 weeks before I have a mature adult female, barring any issues. 

I hope that you have an adult female soon and that Domenic can mate with her when the time comes! Maybe his babies will have his awesome colors?!

- MantisGirl13

 

[hysteresis]

If this happens @Graceface... we're coming for a little cross-border shopping!    

 

[Graceface]

@hysteresis lol, you are always welcome to make a run for the border and pick up some immigrants  

I'm hoping the pink is a genetic linked trait. Heidi is a bit more pink than her sisters, so maybe if I breed her with Dom we will get pinker babies! I'm not too sure how breeding and color works for mantids, so I will find out the old fashioned way

I'm keeping all my finger crossed to be able to breed my current mantids without sourcing more males

 

[Graceface]

Arthur, one of my male Ghosts, molted last night. I believe he is a sub adult now. I tried to take photos, but they didn't save so I'll try again tomorrow

 

[Mantis Lady]

gratz on the molt

 

[MantisGirl13]

Arthur, one of my male Ghosts, molted last night. I believe he is a sub adult now. I tried to take photos, but they didn't save so I'll try again tomorrow

Cool! I can't wait to see pictures!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Graceface]

I was able to get the pictures I took of Arthur to upload, so here he is standing on his molt. I think he is a sub adult now

 

[Mantis Lady]

A cool pic of him with his molt

 

[hysteresis]

Ghosts are so cool-looking!

 

[MantisGirl13]

OOh, Cool! Yes, I am pretty sure he is a sub now!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Cole 78]

Just sat down and decided to read this whole thread. My, was that a good choice I made! Your mantids are ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Have you ever though of keeping anything besides Orchids and Ghosts? I think that might be cool.

 

[Graceface]

Just sat down and decided to read this whole thread. My, was that a good choice I made! Your mantids are ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Have you ever though of keeping anything besides Orchids and Ghosts? I think that might be cool.

Thank you! I've kept other species like Carolina and Chinese in the past, but had never tried any 'exotic' mantids. Part of my goal in getting and raising mantids this go around is breeding, which I've never done before. Its been a long feeling road, but I'm almost to a point where I can breed my collection. Once I successfully breed, I will have waaaaay more specimens than I do now, adding to my mantis workload. I feel it would be a bad decision to get more species until I am certain I can handle what I've already got on my plate. I wanna be good at what I do, and Orchids are my favorite, so my focus is there. The end goal is potentially becoming a breeder/supplier of Orchids. I hope to one day have multiple bloodlines on hand so I can perpetually outbreed and always have specimens available. Its gonna be a long while before that happens, and step one is successful breeding. We'll see where this crazy adventure takes me.

Spiny flowers are so cute though, I am definitely tempted

 

[Graceface]

Exciting times here with a few molts. Biggest one: Letty is an adult! She molted Yesterday





She molted sooner than I expected, after putting off food for one day. I don't know why, but I didn't move her to a bigger enclosure and she molted in her 32oz cup (off of the bug ladder and not the tulle on the roof). I had her new pad ready, I really don't know why I didn't move her She seems to have mismolted a bit, her right raptorial arm is a bit wonky. It works, but doesn't sit properly. I saw her trying in vain to clean her eye with her femoral brush, as her arm wont reach that way, which made me sad as it is my fault. She may have damage to her right eye but it is hard to tell. She is hunting flies and eating fine, so I think she is gonna be okay.



In other mantis molting news, 2 of my Ghosts molted to sub adult last night. 

Here is Fiona:



And Cam:

 

[Cole 78]

Congratulations on all the molts! And sorry about Letty's mis-molt. Might want to post in the health issues section about her right raptor ill arm. Praying she gets better!

 

[Graceface]

Congratulations on all the molts! And sorry about Letty's mis-molt. Might want to post in the health issues section about her right raptor ill arm. Praying she gets better!

Thanks! I don't think there is anything that can be done about Letty's mismolt injuries so I didn't see much point in making a thread for it. My main concern was whether she would be able to eat as well as hunt, both of which she managed okay today. I figure worst case scenario she can't hunt and has to be tong fed, which is a LOT of work considering how much I imagine she will be eating (sub adult females eat an insane amount of flies at a time, so I can only imagine how much adult females eat!). I gave her 4 flies as a test, she ate 2 and partially ate one (looks like she dropped it, which can be expected since she has an arm malfunctioning). One is still evading her; she is staying perched on her enclosure lid not really moving around much. I'll give her a bunch more tomorrow and see how she does

She is eating and tracking prey, always a good sign, so I'm hopeful Letty will do fine

 

[MantisGirl13]

Beautiful! I am glad you have an adult orchid! And congrats on all of the molts!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Graceface]

Beautiful! I am glad you have an adult orchid! And congrats on all of the molts!

- MantisGirl13

Thanks! Ive had many males so far, just no females until now. Heidi is ignoring food and looking ready to molt, so I will have another one soon! She was about 3 days behind Letty in her previous molts so maybe tonight is the night