L8 nymphs of Blepharopsis mendica (Thistle Mantis or Egyptian Flower Mantis)

[happy1892]

Here is a video of a male and female B. mendica. 8th instar nymphs.

 

[Ghost_Keeper]

I wannttt

 

[sbugir]

Wow, these are L8? They look tiny! They look about the size of my L5's... How large do they get as adults?

 

[happy1892]

Wow, these are L8? They look tiny! They look about the size of my L5's... How large do they get as adults?

Yes, I was surprised how small these guys were at L5 to L6. I thought my perception changed after the psychosis so that mantises looked smaller then later I saw dead specimens of several species of other adult mantises at the bugfest in the North Carolina Natural Sciences Museum (Rick and Brian Fridie were there) and noticed that they were not as big as I thought they would be.

Here it says they get from 5 to 6cm as adults:

http://www.mantisonline.de/index.php?lan=en&show=species_mantids_view&content={%22subshow%22:%22species_mantids%22,%22level_right%22:%22%22,%22level_left%22:%22%22,%22genus%22:%22blepharopsis%22,%22level_left_view%22:%22%22,%22level_left_species%22:%22index%22,%22species%22:%22mendica_mendica%22}

 

[sbugir]

Yes, I was surprised how small these guys were at L5 to L6. I thought my perception changed after the psychosis so that mantises looked smaller then later I saw dead specimens of several species of other adult mantises at the bugfest in the North Carolina Natural Sciences Museum (Rick and Brian Fridie were there) and noticed that they were not as big as I thought they would be.

Here it says they get from 5 to 6cm as adults:

http://www.mantisonline.de/index.php?lan=en&show=species_mantids_view&content={%22subshow%22:%22species_mantids%22,%22level_right%22:%22%22,%22level_left%22:%22%22,%22genus%22:%22blepharopsis%22,%22level_left_view%22:%22%22,%22level_left_species%22:%22index%22,%22species%22:%22mendica_mendica%22}

Amazing. I'm so surprised. Every picture I see they appear to be pretty large! Now I want mine to grow

 

[happy1892]

Amazing. I'm so surprised. Every picture I see they appear to be pretty large! Now I want mine to grow

What do you feed them? I have read that they have problems eating crickets, maybe because the crickets from petshops are pretty bad or sick sometimes (not kept sanitary). I'm feeding them moderately with mostly females of Parasteatoda like house spiders. I keep mine in a terrarium with an electric heater in there, they are in 32oz containers. I do not know how hot it gets in the terrarium, but they have been doing fine in it. Edit: (It gets 100F degrees in the terrarium.)

 

[sbugir]

What do you feed them? I have read that they have problems eating crickets, maybe because the crickets from petshops are pretty bad or sick sometimes (not kept sanitary). I'm feeding them moderately with mostly females of Parasteatoda like house spiders. I keep mine in a terrarium with an electric heater in there, they are in 32oz containers. I do not know how hot it gets in the terrarium, but they have been doing fine in it.

I've been feeding mine house flies and blue bottles. They're at about 85 degrees under a heat lamp. I also keep mine in 32oz containers. One of my nymphs is actually green. The other 6 are tan like your babies.

 

[sbugir]

Did your fellas ever make it to adulthood?