Hatching during shipment...grrrr

[yen_saw]

I don't mean to double post, but yen, are your adults still alive? And aren't the adults usually dead when nymphs hatch? :huh: Just a quick question.

Yes some adults are still alive. Once reach adult, females are pretty hardy eventhough i didn't feed them often sometimes, and i haven't witness any cannibalism, but male starting to drop like flies for me recently. i didn't really check but i think they are down to only 3 adult male which has been alive for at least 3 months. This batch of idolomantis has been very special for me. To have had hatched during transit and proceed to survive the incredible journey, and lastly manged to molt out of last molt and eventually breed successfully is really something, and certainly a wonderful experience for me although i might not be keeping them again. I hope many more breeders manage to breed them too.

Today, the same ooth hatched another 35 nymphs?!?! :blink: i wonder if this is common. Now i feel stupid cos i actually cut open the first ooth the same day after many nymphs get stucked on the ooth and only couple survived. I did find many "unborn" nymphs inside the eggs. Oh well, never too late to learn

Edit: Final count - 41 nymphs hatched today for a total of 61 nymphs.

 

[Christian]

Yeah, this is much better. Sometimes the larvae hatch in two batches. I rarely had it in the last generations, but several times in this one. I have no clue what might be responsible.

 

[MantidLord]

So, if yen isn't gonna breed them anymore, who else on this forum breeds them? I want the species to become successful, but I know raising this species is way out of my league. But, the female mantids would eat their own children right? (I never knew they would survive to see them hatch, so I figured it was a mute question). Anyways, good luck with your ooths yen Oh, are any females laying any more ooths yen?

 

[Mantida]

Congratulations Yen!

 

[yen_saw]

Oh, are any females laying any more ooths yen?

Yes i have about 5-6 adult idolomantis female still depositing oothecae almost everytime after some heavy meals. I haven't had much time checking them nowadays, believed some idolomantis female are in her 3rd ooth, and the ooth size is slightly smaller than before but with good shape.

One more ooth hatched earlytoday, so far they preferred to hatch early in the morning.

This one stays on the ooth a long time but climbed up my hand as soon as i remove the ooth

 

[macro junkie]

wow..this species is so cool..well done.

 

[Malnra]

sounds like you may end with some ooth to share ;- )

i would be interested if one became available

 

[Ian]

Nice work Yen! You made it the whole way

I'd also be interested in an ooth if you have one available at any time.

 

[MantidLord]

So are u gonna sale those nymphs yen, or keep breeding them? For their sake, I hope u keep breeding them.

 

[macro junkie]

, this batch seems to prefer molting at night, so a night and day cycle is required.

i have 2 idols shed from L4 -to adult and sub adult with the light on 24/7.,

 

[macro junkie]

Nice work Yen! You made it the whole way I'd also be interested in an ooth if you have one available at any time.

wouldnt we all :lol:

 

[yen_saw]

Nice work Yen! You made it the whole way

Thanks Ian, it was quite a "journey" and am glad to be able to share it here with everyone.

So are u gonna sale those nymphs yen, or keep breeding them? For their sake, I hope u keep breeding them.

I received many requests to keep them for another generation, but i am not sure if i have the time to do it. I have decided to let the museum here keeping some of them as they have some entomologists there with mantis breeding experiences. But i will do my part to help the rest of you as much as possible. So far they are at least 20+ people with order of idolomantis (may be more if the rest of my oothecae hatch), most have ordered 10 idolomantis each (there is one person received 50 idolomantis nymphs in single order!). So we now have a nice size of "American Idol" keepers and i would like this community to stay in touch with each other. Some of you may need either a male or female in the future so by staying in touch to each other we might be able to breed idolomantis here for another generation. I will e-mail this "American Idol" group before my trip so the current idols breeder knows where to look for help.

So i shall retire here now with this last pics of my first generation L2 groups. Enjoy!

 

[MantidLord]

I hope these people have the same success as you did yen, and the museum. It's been fun reading (then joining) this thead. Good Luck in the future yen!!

 

[asdsdf]

Wow Yen, amazing accomplishment. Too bad you have to leave....We need you. *hint *hint

 

[Ghozt]

Hey Yen, I still have the 2 you gave me. They are sub-adults now... B)