Hysteresis' Mantis Stream - 2019

[hysteresis]

Cool. nothing is as fun unboxing new mantids

Right? Ghosts and spinys.

 

[MantisGirl13]

Right? Ghosts and spinys.

That's awesome! Give us pics as soon as they arrive!!!

- MantisGirl13

 

[hysteresis]

That's awesome! Give us pics as soon as they arrive!!!

- MantisGirl13

In transit  

Cleared  

Out for delivery 

 

[MantisGirl13]

In transit  

Cleared  

Out for delivery 

YAY!!!! Did you get them yet?!?

- MantisGirl13

 

[hysteresis]

YAY!!!! Did you get them yet?!?

- MantisGirl13

YASSSS.

6X P. wahlbergi - L4, L3, and 4X L2

6X P. Paradoxa - all L2

All arrived safe and sound. In transit less than 24h. Heat pack is still warm 

 

[hysteresis]

LoL. Can't even take a decent photo of the L4 spiny "in profile", as it turns to face the camera no matter what I do.

 

[MantisGirl13]

Awesome! I am so glad they arrived ok! 

Ya, spinys are hard to photograph!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Graceface]

Awesome! Congrats I'm 'out of reactions' today so I can't like your post, lol

 

[hysteresis]

Awesome! Congrats I'm 'out of reactions' today so I can't like your post, lol

Happens to me *every day*. Haha.

I wish I could like EVERY post I see on here. Y'all have so much good stuff to share, as well as good rhetoric and banter.

How's the new acquisitions? Get them warmed up?

 

[Graceface]

How's the new acquisitions? Get them warmed up?

Well... 50/50. They arrived cold in a flat and narrow box. I got em warm and gave them honey water, water, bee pollen/honey powder, and flies (the old kitchen sink treatment). One is doing okay now, she is moving around and ate her flies. The other isn't doing well. She was unresponsive on arrival and hasn't improved at all, despite all the care and warmth. 

Happens to me *every day*. Haha.

I wish I could like EVERY post I see on here. Y'all have so much good stuff to share, as well as good rhetoric and banter.

Me too, on both accounts Why do we even have to have a reaction limit??? 

 

[hysteresis]

Why do we even have to have a reaction limit??? 

I know. Reactions? But why?

Maybe they dont want us earning rep too fast.

We're lucky. Some forums impose a daily posting and replying limit.

 

[hysteresis]

New hydei culture that isn't producing yet. So trying not to tap into it yet. 

Spinys take bits of anything off a toothpick. Five of the six anyways.

Ghosts, not a chance. Ill have to shake off a few hydei. Ill call my fly guy tomorrow and see if he has any ripe cultures.

Geeze I'm having a great time tonight! 

 

[hysteresis]

I had hoped my first ghost photo would be decent. ... Not so much! 

Phyllocrania paradoxa, L2. Is this a girl?

A bit better. Here is the older of the spinys.

Pseudocreobotra wahlbergi, L4. I don't even know where to find the new eyes i'd need to determine its gender.

 

[Graceface]

Really hard to tell on the *** of Ghosts at L2, I'd wait until L3 then the crowns become more distinct. So cute though! Sorry about your lack of producing FF cultures. The Ghosts will want 3-5 Hydeii each at that age. 

Love the Spinys! They are so adorable I've considered getting into them, but I've got a full plate with my orchids and ghosts currently. Maybe Someday...

 

[hysteresis]

The Ghosts will want 3-5 Hydeii each at that age. 

Yeh. Tonight they each (ghosts) took two. That's all id spare from it today. Its just starting to produce larvae.

The spinys ate little bits of waxworm. 

I'm in a unique situation, in that I know the folks that make the hydei cultures for the reptile shop ive been buying them from. A brick and mortar is always more accessible than say, a craigslist seller. But I will ask them if they have an established culture I can feed off. The firat culture I bought was old, and lasted robustly a few weeks. Now the store only has these new ones that need time. Maybe they can hook me up.

EDIT: or I'll have to drive around Toronto to find something, and if you understand traffic in the Greater Toronto Area, that isn't very fun.

 

[hysteresis]

I put Hope down tonight. I realize I was being selfish. She wouldnt have made it.

So live and learn.

 

[Graceface]

I'm in a unique situation, in that I know the folks that make the hydei cultures for the reptile shop ive been buying them from. A brick and mortar is always more accessible than say, a craigslist seller. But I will ask them if they have an established culture I can feed off. The firat culture I bought was old, and lasted robustly a few weeks. Now the store only has these new ones that need time. Maybe they can hook me up.

EDIT: or I'll have to drive around Toronto to find something, and if you understand traffic in the Greater Toronto Area, that isn't very fun.

I feel ya. I haven't found anyone in my tiny town that sells fruit flies, so I got mine mail order and used it to produce more cultures. All my Hydeii have descended from that one culture

Have you made your own FF cultures? 

I put Hope down tonight. I realize I was being selfish. She wouldnt have made it.

So live and learn.

I'm sorry  

 

[hysteresis]

Have you made your own FF cultures? 

Not yet. Seems easy enough. Like lighting a ciggy off the one you just smoked.

I'm sorry  

Thank you Grace, but I'm the sorry one.

I should have done this the minute I reckoned shed never climb up and hang inverted again.

 

[Mantis Lady]

I put Hope down tonight. I realize I was being selfish. She wouldnt have made it. 

So live and learn.

Sorry for your loss, it was hard to let her go...

 

[hysteresis]

Yes. Very hard.

And that last comment you made almost killed me with guilt. But it HAD to be.  

I saw her and what was happening. I had her up trying to support her to molt. For a couple days she was back trying to climb, with only one raptorial and two decent tarsi. Her back legs barely worked. Not happening.

She looked desperate to get up there. Chewing at her mesh. Id never seen her so pressed into the corners of her bin.

So' I taped her up to a wooden dowel. She was solid and this tape is easily removed, but she fought it and struggled. When I saw one of her two remaining tarsi coming apart, that was the end.

I feel awful and selfish and immature for even trying this.

I am embarassed.

But now I focus on all the good and healthy nymphs I have. 18 of them.

We will serve them a feast in her honour.