hcarlton's Mantid Photos

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This, sadly, is the only nymph to survive so far, of only 2 hatched, from only one ooth that has hatched from my Creobroter. The female responsible for these decided to monch the male before I could try pairing him again with the other two girls, so no idea if I'll be having any success with this species in the long run now

Creobroter sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Creobroter sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 
She did finally pass recently, but before then this female unquestionably earned the title of my oldest ghost, sticking around long enough to "see" her grandnymphs

Phyllocrania paradoxa old girl by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Phyllocrania paradoxa old girl by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And said nymphs, of which I have a ton

Ghost nymphs by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Lots of wild Europeans have been popping up recently too. One from a herping trip:

Mantis religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And one of several that I've collected from the back yard, among the carnivorous plants (I now have 2 females, 3 males, and have another fat female now hanging around the plants again)

Mantis religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

The 2nd female

Mantis religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Mantis religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Mantis religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 
Caught a male right at the end of molting

Creobroter gemmatus by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And the females are just about to be fat enough to start breeding soon. Hopefully this round does better

Creobroter gemmatus by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Shortly before our most recent storm, I found this fat female wandering about

M. religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

M. religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And then shortly after the storm, this male was found surviving under the plastic I put over the plants to keep frost at bay

M. religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Sadly, he did not survive the encounter with the first of two females I collected...

 
So, due to the cost of raising these guys, and my current limitations...I'm going to be phasing out keeping them for a while. Which means I have 4 adult Giant African females (one mated, and confirmed fertile today as a TON of nymphs came out of the ooth she laid), several Elmantis sp. bark mantis females, their ooths, and some nymphs, and a few ghost nymphs that either need to be sold or will just live out their remaining days here.

I will however keep photographing the local wildlife that shows up in the yard, attracted to the plants...this guy ain't a mantis:

Harvestman by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

But he likes handing out alongside them among the plants

Mantis religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Particularly the plants that bring in free food...

Mantis religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Mantis religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 
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