InvertsandOi!
Member
Hello. I'm 34, from Detroit. I got into the invert hobby about a year ago, but just acquired my first mantis within the past week. It's a Sphodromantis viridis (giant african), and I have a Deroplatys desiccata (Malasian dead leaf) on the way. I did a bug presentation for my son's preschool last spring and it was a big hit. I figured some mantises would be a good addition for this year. So, I got some nymphs now, with the idea that they'll be a good size by spring for the next presentation. That was my initial reasoning, but the more I learn and observe, the more I'm hooked. The only other invert predator I have is an amblypygid, and the difference is like night and day. Not better or worse necessarily, just way different than what I'm used to. Mantises hunt with their excellent eyesight and are seemingly without fear, while my Damon diadema is almost blind (hunting with antennaeform legs), and is quite shy. That said, there are also interesting similarities. While the senses they use and their temperaments are very dissimilar, their hunting techniques and killing methods are pretty much the same. No venom. Just sneak up, grab with specialized appendages and enviable quickness, and chow down.
Anyway, this is getting a little long winded. I'm glad to be a part of this forum. I've already learned a lot from it. Sorry there's no photos. I don't have a camera worthy of something so small and badass looking.
Anyway, this is getting a little long winded. I'm glad to be a part of this forum. I've already learned a lot from it. Sorry there's no photos. I don't have a camera worthy of something so small and badass looking.
