My new unusual pet
- Thread starter Domanating
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Domanating
Well-known member
I'm having a hard time understanding if that's a true question, a rhetorical question or something else, lol
I still dont have enough and/or decent footage for a video. I wasn't expecting my latest catches to pupate so early either, so I went out find some more. I'll probably get the video done next week.
Domanating
Well-known member
Here it is. A video showing their hunting skills and their fast acting venom.
Don't blink too much or you'll miss some of the action.
The video will be working in about 5 to 10 minutes
Don't blink too much or you'll miss some of the action.
The video will be working in about 5 to 10 minutes
Domanating
Well-known member
Cheers! Actually it was a digital photographic camera that took the footage. Even I was impressed when I got it.
Sooo, my last antlion has been doing pretty much nothing since I posted this video until this week. He refused food, kept wandering around in the enclosure and I figured he was going to pupate and I know it will take a while. So I left him be. Now a month has passed and to my surprise he didn't pupate but molted!
He's now bigger and meaner than ever. Keep in mind he didn't eat or drink for an entire month and he's alive and kicking.
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Domanating
Well-known member
According to some research I made, they only molt twice in their larval stage, which is surprising. Their entire life cycle is weird, actually.
For now I fed him a common housefly but I'll get him some bigger prey soon.
For now I fed him a common housefly but I'll get him some bigger prey soon.
Crazy4mantis
Well-known member
It's like a land shark mantis!
I can never seem to find an ant lion, always wanted to see it hunt in person.
I can never seem to find an ant lion, always wanted to see it hunt in person.
Domanating
Well-known member
The adults are not interesting to keep. I put the cocoons in an open jar with sand and twigs next to an open window. 2 Antlions already pupated, emerged and left. I never seen them emerging but they left their old skins and a hole in the cocoons.
PrayingMantisPets
Well-known member
Domanating
Well-known member
As far as I know I might have caught 2 different species of antlion.
The first antlion was almost 2cm (0.8 inches) long when it pupated.
The 2nd antlion, which had the unexpected molt I posted above, was also 2cm long pre-molt, but now it's about 3cm (1.2 inches) long. I assume this one's a female.
These 2 antlions hunted and behaved the same way. They don't build pits.
The 3rd antlion was easily 2 times smaller than the others before pupating (1cm/ 0.4 inches long). This one built pits.
Domanating
Well-known member
Hey, I have some interesting news.
My latest posted ant lion has survived the Winter starvation without issues and pupated a few weeks ago.
What's interesting is the fact that it failed to make the cocoon so it pupated out in the open, which allowed me a glance to the middle stages of pupation.
For those that don't know, Antlion when cocooned do 2 things: first they metamorphose to something that resembles the adult and 2nd they molt right after making an opening in the cocoon with their new set of jaws.
Here's what he it looks like after metamorphosis
Not sure how it will behave without a cocoon to open when he's ready to molt, though.
My latest posted ant lion has survived the Winter starvation without issues and pupated a few weeks ago.
What's interesting is the fact that it failed to make the cocoon so it pupated out in the open, which allowed me a glance to the middle stages of pupation.
For those that don't know, Antlion when cocooned do 2 things: first they metamorphose to something that resembles the adult and 2nd they molt right after making an opening in the cocoon with their new set of jaws.
Here's what he it looks like after metamorphosis
Not sure how it will behave without a cocoon to open when he's ready to molt, though.
minard734
Well-known member
I need to go outside and dig them up... Now I want to breed these too! Love antlions! Grew up watching them.
Domanating
Well-known member
Well, it turns out not having a cocoon is a death sentence. The antlion died yesterday. There were obvious stretch marks in its abdomen indicating struggle to molt. I guess without the cocoon to hold on it wasn't able to free itself out of the old skin.
Off to find more antilions I guess.
Off to find more antilions I guess.
