Introduction from Missouri USA

lionsden112002 · Aug 28, 2007

Hello Mantid Forum,

Have read a great deal on your site and have enjoyed it all. I am keeping my second mantid that I caught wild in Missouri. It is a large green praying mantis. I will try and post a photo of it. I caught it August 20 and it is an adult.

I kept a praying mantis five years ago and took it to school and kept it as a classroom pet. The kids loved it and it was a voracious female named buffy (the vampire slayer). It laid an oothaca but it was not fertile. I never saw any offspring the following summer in my garden.

This year I bought two mantis eggs at a garden shop and hatched 40 or so by an given count mantids in the tomato garden. I think they where all consumed by birds as each time I went back there a huge flock would take off from the plants and I saw fewer and fewer mantids.

The one I caught was probably not from my garden as it was several miles from my house caught at night under a street lamp.

I enjoy the hobby and will try and take some pictures. I really liked the pictures on this forum. You folks are amazing.

I am curious to know the system of refering to your bugs as L4 L5. I did a search for "stages" but have not got the full info on that description.

Regards,

Ken

Lionsden112002

Deutschherper · Aug 28, 2007

Welcome!

L1 is a mantid that has just been born. After it sheds, it's called L2. When it sheds again, it's called L3, and on and on until the mantid becomes an adult.

Sparky · Aug 28, 2007

Hows it going Ken?

L4 and L5 as you know are the stages in the mantids life cycle. When the nymphs first hatch they are called L1. As they shed they become and L2. When they shed again its called an L3 and so on...

Do you get it? So basically you just add the number up one as it sheds.

8) Hope I helpped

lionsden112002 · Aug 28, 2007

Thanks,

That is just what I was assuming. However how do you know if you haven't had the insect long enough to know what L it has progressed to and is there a count for different species to know how many moults could occur?

lionsden112002 · Aug 28, 2007

Her name is Lu

she has six segments on the thorax.

Tonight I took a complete series of pictures and she has not been out of the criter keeper before. She made a bee line striaght for me no matter where I moved with the camera - just kept moving directly toward me and trying to latch on. Pretty intimidating for a little bug.

Has anyone had that happen? I know they get tame but I have not had her long enough to be used to me and this was the first time we have interacted.

She eats pet store crickets and has gone through her first dozen in about three days.