Window screen, and or metal mesh is no good either. There tarsi can get easily caught and break off while struggleing to free themselves.
Sticks would be the better choice being they can wrap there tarsi around it. With bark there tarsi would be flat against it. No different from netting in my opinion.
This may be a good way to encourage them to use sticks, never though about that. My Gongylus haven't had a single mismoult. Their cage is very thick with various dead stems and twigs, most very thin. I'll try the same method with the Idolos and report back periodically.
Not a bad idea, but if they should fall from there stick perch, then how would they get back up, if they cant climb the sides? Even if you have various sticks leading back up to the top, or even a house plant there is no guarantee they won't just hang on the sides of these sticks or a house plant, when getting ready to molt. I can see covering the whole net cage, or enclosure of choice, with sticks on the top to the point, where they have no choice but grasp them instead of the netting , or mesh top. I can see them trying to climb the glass for a long period of time. :lol: I don't think it's a recipe for disaster. Won't know for sure until you try it. Put it this way, if you see them hanging on the house plant all retarded, or sitting on the floor trying to climb the glass sides. Then you can kinda foresee the grim future! :lol:
Well, I had the idea of having lots of sticks in there, too....I've read that Idolo's need lots of sticks.
Ah, I see. So they don't really have the capability at that stage to stick to things like other mantids do. I'm gathering information for the day that I get some of these! I do like the smooth surface idea too.
I'm getting discouraged from even trying to own these guys at all... so far they sound like a nightmare.
This is way different from Gongy. I haven't had any mismolts with Gongy but lost three out of four Idolos to mismolts. I used the thin twigs for the last two and they still mismolted.
I guess now he will make a perfect pinned specimen! <_< I just have no luck! Sorry to hear that, I know how does it feel, after a lot of work and care I had a couple of Adult Idolomantis, but because of my work I had to go to the south of Mexico for 4 weeks, in that time a friend of mine took care of the Idolos, after I arrived (they were about a month a half adults approximately), and I tried to mate them, I put them together at night and left them along, I was watching them, and the male was very active like never before, I was sure they should mate, but after I woke up, the male was laying on the floor and the female hanging from the top of the enclosure with her "raptor arms", and a few seconds later I saw her fell down (even she was near to one wall of the enclosure).ARRRRGGGGHHHH! I found my adult male laying on the floor of his enclosure yesterday morning. He had been with an adult female for last two weeks. I did witness him mount her a few days ago, but there was no connection. Unreal! He was perfect!
