Idolo Nymphs L2 now .. anyone at L3 yet ?

[Villosa]

So as of last night I am waiting on my last slow idolo to molt to L4. Should happen soon since it's been dangling there for days not wanting to eat. The others are fine, they molt white but develop a very attractive tan, crispy looks, almost like frosted flakes without the frosting. I've been asking around and according to Yen, it'll be hard to sex them until males develop their thicker antenna or "horns" as I like to call them, don't they look like horns?

 

[macro junkie]

So as of last night I am waiting on my last slow idolo to molt to L4. Should happen soon since it's been dangling there for days not wanting to eat. The others are fine, they molt white but develop a very attractive tan, crispy looks, almost like frosted flakes without the frosting. I've been asking around and according to Yen, it'll be hard to sex them until males develop their thicker antenna or "horns" as I like to call them, don't they look like horns?

iv been told this also...

 

[MikhailsDinos]

Okay, I have one that has to molt and then all 10 are L3. I have one with a missing leg and now after molting has a little black leg. Otherwise all are eating blue bottle flies like there is no tomorrow.

So that means we will have to wait until they they are very close to adulthood to tell the sex, very interesting!

Thanks again

Mikhail

 

[MikhailsDinos]

Okay, another update. All 10 nymphs are now L3 and eating like monsters.

Thanks again

Mikhail

 

[Malnra]

one of mine is now 4th instar ... he molted last night ...

only took him 11 days to go from 3 to 4 ....

 

[Villosa]

My last L3 molted to L4 two days ago. One L4 molted to L5 last night. I should stop being lazy and start counting the days too. So far no mismolts, no lost of body parts.

 

[Malnra]

second one molted to 4th instar ....

 

[Birdfly]

Mine are mostly 4th instar now and still taking terrestrial prey insects, although fly species are offered all the time, i took one out for a photo shoot and offered it a cockroach, it stalked it like any other species of mantid, caught and ate it

 

[macro junkie]

i took one out for a photo shoot and offered it a cockroach,

only flying insects for me..i wouldn't dream of feeding my idolos cockroaches.Seems risky?

 

[Villosa]

What's the risk? They're easy to gut load with your choice of nutrients, cost effective, high in protein, odor free, and can't fly. Mine are on strictly roaches fed different fresh and dried foods for gutload. Perfect idolo molts everytime.

 

[Birdfly]

As Villosa says, why is there a risk? I diabolica eat allsorts in the wild so why not captivity?

Comercially reared and badly looked after crickets are potentially lethal to nearly all mantids, i wouldnt feed a cricket to any mantid but cockroaches have never been a threat.

The point i was making is that I diabolica at 4th instar are still interested in actively stalking and taking terrestrial feeder insects so people who may find it difficult culturing fly species can do some thing with this.

 

[MikhailsDinos]

One of my Idolos is now L4. So I have 9 L3 nymphs and 1 L4 nymph. I'm looking forward to this species maturing.

Thanks again

Mikhail

 

[Birdfly]

Jolly good

What would any one say is the lowest night time temperature for this mantis?

Only i have had a Hierodula majuscula out in an unheated greenhouse for a fortnight with no ill effects, on the contrary it seems to be doing exellently its also a very vivid green, growing and feeding well even though it still gets quite cool out there.

Because of this i put an Idolomantis nymph out there a few nights ago and it to seems well and is feeding better, i have today put the lot out there :blink: i have also just rigged up a thermostatically controlled 400watt bar heater just in case we get a cold snap but as yet have not turned it on.

 

[Villosa]

Another went L5 last night. I'm expecting 2 others to do so very soon.

 

[Birdfly]

Well your half way there

 

[mrblue]

Jolly good What would any one say is the lowest night time temperature for this mantis?

Only i have had a Hierodula majuscula out in an unheated greenhouse for a fortnight with no ill effects, on the contrary it seems to be doing exellently its also a very vivid green, growing and feeding well even though it still gets quite cool out there.

Because of this i put an Idolomantis nymph out there a few nights ago and it to seems well and is feeding better, i have today put the lot out there :blink: i have also just rigged up a thermostatically controlled 400watt bar heater just in case we get a cold snap but as yet have not turned it on.

i have read that the temperature should be no lower than 20C at night. mine drops to 23C minimum, i have a heatmat under the idolomantis container that is on 24/7. that your heirodula seems fine out there should be no bearing on whether your idolomantis would be. i woud say check the temps first.

 

[ismart]

Hey guys,

I also i'm keeping Idolo's. I have 10 from Yen's stock. 8 are L3 and 2 are L4. I'm kepping mine at 90F to 100F during the day and 75F at night, humidity is at 80% to 100% at all times. Mine are currently eating honey gut loaded house flies and blue bottle flies. Cant wait till there adults, such an awsome species.

Paul

 

[acerbity]

Can't wait till every one of you have so many idolo ooths you'll be practically giving them away

 

[Birdfly]

Temps were 15 at floor level and 18/19? head height, three had gone down to knee level and moulted up and two were at about 6 inches off the floor one eating a blue bottle the other a hunting spider Pardosa sp early this morning.

If i have learnt one thing about keeping mantids/inverts its dont believe every thing you read, even so i will set my stat a bit higher as it dosnt seem to correspond with the setting?

 

[mrblue]

If i have learnt one thing about keeping mantids/inverts its dont believe every thing you read.

theres blindly believing everything you read, and theres following sound advice from people who know what theyre talking about. i know i would rather stick with what has been proven to work.

EDIT: this post was not intended to be inflammatory or rude or whatever it came across as. instead of saying "people who know what they are talking about", in hindsight i should have said "people who have bred this species before".