Idolo update

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That's the idea. I think I've got Ghosts and Gongy's down pat! And no real challeges to the other species I've had - just these darn Idols! They vex me!

I think we're really close. I think an empty, wide-mesh nylon cage, sprayed or fogged would work just fine. Even temp doesn't seem to be a factor here - just the gripping surface.

I think next week I'll start doing designs on my round or hex cage idea. I may make it like a wheel, with the "hub" ALSO made of nylon. Does that make any sense...? Does anyone here use Google Sketchup...? So hard to describe - I may just need to design it and post the rendering. Grr...

 
Actually, I'm just assuming it's nylon - my bad. Looks synthetic.

I've got a few gauges of mesh (or netting) that can all hold in Blue Bottles - some that can hold houseflies. I've got one cage now that has very, very thin screen on it - I'd be shocked if it was actually metal (cuts like butter).

I've also got a number of sample vines that are plenty thin enough, but i think I'm going to stick with the mesh. Unlike other enclosures I've used, I don't think I'm going to put any effort whatsoever into making it resemble their natural habitat. Like I said, I'll post more as I get a little closer and look for everyone's feedback...

 
Update: female is almost completely out of her skin and is a fresh L7! She molted from the twigs and guess what? She's fine! I actually removed the metal screen top a few days ago and they don't leave the cage.

Temp: 73 Humidity: 30% (yikes!)

I really think the fact that I put sticks under her made it a clean molt. She molted from a set of sticks and there were more branches about 2" under her feet so it was easy to grab something else (other than the weak old skin). I literally just watched her go from hanging from the abdomen to grabbing the slightly lower sticks with her feet. Very easy and clean, even at sub-optimal conditions.

I'll try and take a pic to better explain.

 
Another update:

I kept my violins in here to mate because it keeps temp well. Never witnessed a mating, just him getting munched. Now my Idolos are in there, one of which molted last night. Now they've got roomates...an "unfertilized" violin ooth left in there hatched this morning!

I almost crapped when I saw babies!

That female has ooviposited three times so far, so I'll be selling those too.

 
I counted a total of 24 kiddies for Ms. Violin.

Female Idolo #2 is currently wrapping up the molting process. She started from the branches, then grabbed branches on the lower layer just like female #1. I'm digging this setup for Idolos.

The sub-subadult (L7) female is around 6.2 cm now. The longest I've kept are Chinese and they're typically around 7 cm at subadult. Can't wait to see these girls full-grown

 
OMG! I just notied your username! "Guapo Alto" ..."the most handsomest one"? LOL! :lol: Now the picture makes sense!

Good luck with those Idolos...maybe you can post a pic of the enclosure how you have it set up now?

Thanks!

 
@ sporeworld:

Thanks man! I haven't had much time to take any pics, anatomy lab practicals/finals are killing me this semester. Exactly why my updates are all at 3 am haha.

@GreenOasis:

Haha thanks for the kind words! The name started as my screen name during the "instant messaging" days of middle school and stuck ever since. I'll take some pictures tomorrow when I have a little lull in studying. The setup I have isn't anything fancy, its more the arrangement of the twigs that I believe helps them 100%.

 
You all have inspired me i just cut a ton of corkscrew willow and packed my Idolomantis enclosures. I am at 9 (6.3) individuals down from 15 and I am beginning to get a little worried but you all have inspired me like I said. As much as Idolomantids are talked about on this forum I think the Administrators should have an entire section for them!

 
Amazing.

My boy was healthy, hungry and aggressive for about 6 weeks tops, then faded and died. Nothing unsusaul or suspicious - I figured the boys just had a short life-span.

Now, I'm suspicious. His last meal (if memory recals) was a local-caught, very large katydid (and a local honey bee the day before). I wonder if they brought something in with THEM...? Poison or insecticide, maybe...?

 
Some sad news tonight: Both females molted well to subadulthood. The first last week some time and the second two days ago. I waited two days to let the last one to harden, then put her in with her sister who was pretty plump with flies. I came home today to one Idolo and a foreleg, two antennae, and a leg hanging out of the Idolo's mouth :censored:

They've literally grown up together with absolutely no signs of aggression. Then today kobayashi decides to fatten up her already fat abdomen. I was so exited to see both healthy and active...

 
Very sad. My only Adult Female was isolated, so she never had a chance to be cannibalistic. Reports from others I've read (and seen pics of) had them cohabitating even as adults.

Sorry for your loss...

 
Sporeworld said:
Very sad. My only Adult Female was isolated, so she never had a chance to be cannibalistic. Reports from others I've read (and seen pics of) had them cohabitating even as adults.

Sorry for your loss...
Click to expand...
I am sorry to read about the cannibalistic event taking one of your precious Indolos. That is something one cannot sometimes anticipate I guess, especially is there were no postings on the forum to indicate such behavior and that especially from one so well fed. I will take note and learn from your experience as I am rearing some ooth-mates, I presume who just molted together two nights ago. In my case, I stayed up with them and sprayed their habitat regularly throught the night as my source of heat is a 150 watt infra-red heat lamp. One Ghost molted and the other did not yet. The other that did molt was a Boxer, also from Rebecca. They did great. I had just purchased a coco mat from Lowes Garden Center. That is the coconut fiber made into a cuttable-into-desired shape for the floor of my 1/2 screen, and 1/2 glass reptile habitat that I have converted to Mantid use. I am sorry again for your loss.

 

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