Note to all whom I sold Empusa pennata to

[ABbuggin]

Had a little issue with my empusa, and figured somebody else was probably experiencing the same thing. It appears that I have found the solution, so I hope I'm able to help others out. B)

This time around with my empusa, they decided to stop growing for a few months. In fact, my whole stock was at pre-sub for about 3 months. :blink: In an effort to "snap" them out of this lack of growing, I raised the temperature a bit (100F) and in less that a week, two have shed to subadult. I now have a 2nd gen. sub pair. The rest should soon follow.

I am thinking the reason that this did not happen last time was because it was summer time. In the summer, my bug room's temp peaks at 85F. In the winter, it averages 77F. I always have a heat light on the empusa, but I'm thinking that little bit of temperature change is what was holding them back.

 

[Christian]

Had a little issue with my empusa, and figured somebody else was probably experiencing the same thing. It appears that I have found the solution, so I hope I'm able to help others out. B)

This time around with my empusa, they decided to stop growing for a few months. In fact, my whole stock was at pre-sub for about 3 months. :blink: In an effort to "snap" them out of this lack of growing, I raised the temperature a bit (100F) and in less that a week, two have shed to subadult. I now have a 2nd gen. sub pair. The rest should soon follow.

I am thinking the reason that this did not happen last time was because it was summer time. In the summer, my bug room's temp peaks at 85F. In the winter, it averages 77F. I always have a heat light on the empusa, but I'm thinking that little bit of temperature change is what was holding them back.

Not the temperature is the reason, but the decreasing daylength. In winter they go into diapause, regardless how many generations they have in captivity.

 

[jarek]

I have diapaused my empusas and it worked out great

 

[ABbuggin]

Their photo period had nothing to do with this. I actually have them on a timer, which is at the same settings as it was last summer. That's what led me to conlude it was the increase of temperature (and their near immediate response to it)

 

[Christian]

Has your bug room windows?

 

[ABbuggin]

Has your bug room windows?

It does (one), but the empusa are no where near it. They actually can't see the window from their location.