Jungle Nymph, HETEROPTERYX DILATATA

[Darkrai283]

This diary thread will start with events from August 2013 but I haven't uploaded those photos to flickr yet...

So here's a video of a female's defensive stridulation in action (I wrote 'hissing' in the hope of getting more views. ):

 

[dmina]

That was cool.. Thanks for sharing

 

[Darkrai283]

[31.08.13]

Acquired a pair of nymphs at Bugfest.

Female
14263074816_c0587c5a13_k by Darkrai283, on Flickr

Male & Female
14263073106_e1b957b193_k by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[02.09.13]

Some shots of the female.

IMG_4237 by Darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_4236 by Darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_4242 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[??.??.13]

Female moulted.

14285694584_039a429d25_o by Darkrai283, on Flickr
14263084246_2e097ca08c_k by Darkrai283, on Flickr
14284257272_11f2fc0796_o by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[17.10.14]

Some shots of the male and female.

Female

IMG_4628 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_4617 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_4665 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

Male

IMG_4587 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_4604 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

IMG_4605 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[01.12.14]

The female moulted to subadult but then fell and ruptured it's side. :'(

14263154936_04f68335ec_o by Darkrai283, on Flickr

14286276325_ed7463fef4_k by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[26.01.14]

Acquired a male (pre-sub) and female (sub) pair at the S.E.A.S.

[02.02.14]

Photo of the subadult female

IMG_5609 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[02.03.14]

Pics of the female and my first attempt at focus-stacking on the pre-subadult male.

Female
14282949441_25a07a0d16_o by Darkrai283, on Flickr
14099638508_57cf9d4fa0_o by Darkrai283, on Flickr

Male
14306464573_7efb656bfe_k by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[23.03.14]

The wingbuds on the female are starting to swell up now.

IMG_7375 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[25.03.14]

The male moulted to subadult.

14282953161_7470e80d17_o by Darkrai283, on Flickr
14099642988_ccfbe49516_o by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[15.04.14]

The female's wingbud's colours are starting to show.

IMG_7515 by Darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_7517 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[16.04.14]

The darned thing got stuck then fell on the floor of the enclosure while I was asleep. Her innards had ruptured out and there was nothing I could do to save her so I euthanised her in the freezer.

Considering that I already got her as a subadult at the show in January, the interval between her subadult and adult moult was 78+ days.

14099612159_927d58a2a3_o by Darkrai283, on Flickr
14099612769_43f69f6dc5_o by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[18.04.14]

I tried to pin her but I had run out of pins so I had to improvise with things from the sewing box and the kitchen.

14284275662_1f85071146_o by Darkrai283, on Flickr
14099736927_d15f8270ab_b by Darkrai283, on Flickr
14099663800_ff1b83b9a3_o by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[27.05.14]

Guessing that the male's going to moult anytime soon. His body's really soft. Just a little concerned about his wings in the final moult since he has a little notch on his right outer-wing. Looks like something nibbled on it.

14263225376_100bdbad9c_k by Darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_7757 by Darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_7767 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[28.05.14]

The male moulted to adult.

IMG_7772 by Darkrai283, on Flickr
14297222125_9cf41715e0_k by Darkrai283, on Flickr
14110671557_3441d83fea_k by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[06.08.14]

Pics of the male. I managed to get a shot of his wings when I used a straw to blow at him.

IMG_8452 by Darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_8489 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[04.10.14]

I picked up a fresh adult female for my lone male at the A.E.S show.

... so I finally managed to get an adult pair of this species after a year and a month.

[08.10.14]

A successful connection. The fresh spermatophore looks like a frickin' pearl because of the colour and size of it lol.

10518710_969110719782448_3492819660861704534_n by Darkrai283, on Flickr
10574395_969111356449051_3310486474548807641_n by Darkrai283, on Flickr

 

[Darkrai283]

[10.11.14]

A shot of the demonic face of the male.

IMG_1304 by Darkrai283, on Flickr