Greetings from PA

[eak]

Greetings from a very hot and muggy eastern Pennsylvania, birthplace of our nation.

I'm not sure exactly how I ended up on my current bug kick, but here I am. Maybe it's a midlife crisis thing or I'm reliving my childhood, or something.

I've been lurking here for a couple of weeks, and I just got my first mantis, a ghost, from PanTerra last week. His name is Edward Scissorhands. I already got to watch him molt because apparently we're both insomniacs and there's not much else to do at 2am. He climbed down off the plastic lid and dangled from a branch to do his business, so I guess he's not as stupid as they come. I don't actually know if Edward is a he yet. He just graduated to an L3.

My other pets are a dumbo eared siamese point pet rat from an animal shelter in New Jersey, and four mourning geckos that I bought in the side parking lot of a Target in Philadelphia. I also have a Bugsincyberspace order for some beetles, millipedes, and isopods that I might get this week. I'm fresh out of shelf space after those show up.

 

[Ocelotbren]

Hello and welcome!  Witnessing a molt is a great experience, although a bit nerve-wracking; glad it went well.

 

[Sarah K]

Welcome! I am glad you and your new ghost are already having quality time together at 2am. It sounds like you two are perfect for each other. LOL.

 

[Serle]

Greetings & Welcome  eak ,  surprizing what we do at that age . Maybe just slowing down and smelling / seeing the roses / mantids ...........  S

 

[Rick]

Welcome

 

[CosbyArt]

Hello and welcome to the forum

Great to see Edward molted without incident.

 

[Digger]

Welcome, from another Eastern Pennsylvanian.

 

[Mystymantis]

Hello, welcome to the forum. Sounds like you are already having an adventure with your ghost mantis.

 

[eak]

Hi again. Looks like the clock ran out on poor Ed today. His final molt was in late December. That’s about 7 months of age, with 2 in the adult phase. I hope this is considered a good run for a ghost mantis. I will miss the little guy.

 

[CosbyArt]

Hi again. Looks like the clock ran out on poor Ed today. His final molt was in late December. That’s about 7 months of age, with 2 in the adult phase. I hope this is considered a good run for a ghost mantis. I will miss the little guy.

I'm sorry to hear you lost Ed.

For a male Ghost (Phyllocrania paradoxa) 7-9 months is typical, and 9-12 months for females, at least from my previous Ghost mantids. One of my favorites was Bandit and he made it shy of 7 months too. A Ghost female I had set a personal record and was nearly 15 months old when she died. Even with the same care, or gender, it can wildly vary - as you said when their clock runs out that is it.

 

[eak]

I'm sorry to hear you lost Ed.

For a male Ghost (Phyllocrania paradoxa) 7-9 months is typical, and 9-12 months for females, at least from my previous Ghost mantids. One of my favorites was Bandit and he made it shy of 7 months too. A Ghost female I had set a personal record and was nearly 15 months old when she died. Even with the same care, or gender, it can wildly vary - as you said when their clock runs out that is it.

Thank you, CosbyArt. That is good to know as he was my first mantis. 15 months would have been awesome, though.

 

[Mantis Lady]

Sad ho hear Edward died....

 

[Serle]

I do feel for you........ S