Idolomantis diabolica, L6 male

[papilio_]

Too bad that female Idolo which I posted last time is from a hatch older than this L6 male, if they were the other way around I might have had a chance at pairing them!

This is a crop from the last image, in blue light ...

 

[MantidBro]

Too bad that female Idolo which I posted last time is from a hatch older than this L6 male, if they were the other way around I might have had a chance at pairing them!

This is a crop from the last image, in blue light ...

Awesome shots! How far behind is the female?

 

[papilio_]

Thank you MantidBro!

The female was hatched about two months after the male, if I recall. It's grown more quickly though and is now just an instar behind. But the females have an extra instar before maturity, and can remain sub-adult for two or three months. So it's normally not possible to pair Idolos from the same hatch, which is why I bought more Idolos later hoping for a female the first time and a male in the second group. But these two are the only survivors, so no luck.

Here's the male eyeing an L1 nymph from the second hatch, about three months ago ...

 

[MantidBro]

Thank you MantidBro!

The female was hatched about two months after the male, if I recall. It's grown more quickly though and is now just an instar behind. But the females have an extra instar before maturity, and can remain sub-adult for two or three months. So it's normally not possible to pair Idolos from the same hatch, which is why I bought more Idolos later hoping for a female the first time and a male in the second group. But these two are the only survivors, so no luck.

Here's the male eyeing an L1 nymph from the second hatch, about three months ago ...

Maybe if you feed the male less, and the female more, she will molt a couple times before he does again?

Awesome photo!!

 

[papilio_]

Thanks again MantidBro!

I've done this successfully with Ts, but I'm afraid that there's just too much difference in maturing rates with Idolos for adjusting the feeding rates to be effective with this species, especially as this female already has the disadvantage of being a couple of months in age behind the male. Most mantids mature at far more nearly the same time than do Idolos ... I had a pair of siblings in the first Idolos which I raised, and the male matured three months earlier than the female. I currently have a breeding pair of adult wahlbergiis, and they matured within a week of each other!

This is a very unusual species, and especially difficult to keep alive through the maturing molt. This seems largely because of the extremely poor gripping ability of the feet, which very often fail to support the weight of the heavy adults during that last molt.

 

[MantidBro]

Thanks again MantidBro!

I've done this successfully with Ts, but I'm afraid that there's just too much difference in maturing rates with Idolos for adjusting the feeding rates to be effective with this species, especially as this female already has the disadvantage of being a couple of months in age behind the male. Most mantids mature at far more nearly the same time than do Idolos ... I had a pair of siblings in the first Idolos which I raised, and the male matured three months earlier than the female. I currently have a breeding pair of adult wahlbergiis, and they matured within a week of each other!

This is a very unusual species, and especially difficult to keep alive through the maturing molt. This seems largely because of the extremely poor gripping ability of the feet, which very often fail to support the weight of the heavy adults during that last molt.

Sure thing! I offered this idea cause I had 4 L1 Idolos, 3 females and 1 male, and I just fed the male less and the female more, and she is now two molts ahead of him at L5.

My female which hatched in May just finally reached adulthood, my first adult Idolo, it's very exciting. I use polyester mesh fabric for their molts, it works like a charm!

 

[papilio_]

Best luck with yours! It will hopefully work for you as you began the technique early and they're the same age. Let me know how it goes!

The mesh fabric was good thinking, glad it did the trick. I've used foam shelf liner, which also gives them far superior gripping surfaces than branches. It's amazing that they haven't gone extinct in the wild ... they're so frequently difficult that it makes me wonder whether we're missing something essential which exists in their natural habitat.

 

[MantidBro]

Best luck with yours! It will hopefully work for you as you began the technique early and they're the same age. Let me know how it goes!

The mesh fabric was good thinking, glad it did the trick. I've used foam shelf liner, which also gives them far superior gripping surfaces than branches. It's amazing that they haven't gone extinct in the wild ... they're so frequently difficult that it makes me wonder whether we're missing something essential which exists in their natural habitat.

Thanks! Same to you, I hope all goes well!

I'm glad it worked too, Idolos are the most nerve wracking species to own!! I used shelf liner up to presub, then switched to the mesh fabric for the last two. I have shelf liner aligning the sides of the container still though, for when they go from hanging from the exuvia to gripping with their own feet. They used the side before going back up to the top. The female just did especially cause her wings were drying up.

I realized that sticks aren't very effective! I seen my girl's foot kept slipping off the branches so I removed them before the molt to subadult.

I wonder which plants they have over there, I've never been to Africa so I don't know lol, maybe sticks over there are rougher or something? Or maybe they use a specific plant that we don't have around here?

 

[papilio_]

Yeah, that's one critical point ... they need to reorient themselves at just the right angle in order for their wings to form properly. Nerve-wracking indeed, but worth it!

It seems that no other species of mantis I've kept requires much in the way of attention in order to reach maturity successfully.

Here's what I set up for my first girl, though I added some diagonal branches up top for her to hang from while drying her wings.

 

[MantidBro]

Yeah, that's one critical point ... they need to reorient themselves at just the right angle in order for their wings to form properly. Nerve-wracking indeed, but worth it!

It seems that no other species of mantis I've kept requires much in the way of attention in order to reach maturity successfully.

Here's what I set up for my first girl, though I added some diagonal branches up top for her to hang from while drying her wings.

That looks like a perfect home! awesome! id like this but im all out of likes atm lol.

Oh they are definitely worth it!! they are the best species in my opinion

I've never had to pay so much attention to any other mantid before either.. Like now that I have idolos, i realize how easy most other species are!