OGIGA's Mantis Mini-gallery

[OGIGA]

After a little over two weeks, my orchid female finally molted and left this behind.

 

[Way.Of.The.Mantis]

Excellent pictures, like your orchids in particular.

On the first pic all I saw in the book ws 'WMD', what are you planning!

xD

Jonny.

 

[OGIGA]

Thanks. I just took some more pictures when my mantis finally molted into adult!

Just chilling there.

Almost done! Are those stringy things her tracheal tubes?

Left from adolescence.

Look at the wings still unraveling!

I actually watched her molt from beginning to end! First time I did that and it's a final molt! To add to the excitement, I even recorded it! Well, I used a low quality camera so it's a low quality video, but I finally got it!

 

[captainmerkin]

great pictures!

 

[OGIGA]

The final product, all grown up.

 

[OGIGA]

This is my only male left. He's an L6 and I think he has one molt left. I hope nobody tries to eat him when I have him mate!

 

[robo mantis]

Good luck mine are around that stage also

 

[Horatio]

Wow! I will have to show my family this run of pictures! They all have started really becoming fans of these fascinating creatures. (However, I remain the primary care giver aka insect hunter/feeder). I can't believe how beautiful the Orchids are. Almost like little princesses (or princes). I think I am going to try to up my humidity a bit/different substrate to see if it makes a difference in coloration. I know that the Orchids stay still alot, but if they move, what kind of locomotion is it? I am just getting use to the speed of my L2 Chinese(?). I am trying to compare it to when I had toddlers and how fast they use to run.

 

[Horatio]

I forgot to add that the molting pictures are superb! I can hardly wait to show my kids! We haven't seen ours molt yet (however, we did see them hatch). How is your L6 male doing?

 

[OGIGA]

Thanks! My male L6 still has yet to molt. The other two (females) have already molted to L7 (subadult). I hope he'll make it to the end.

My orchids' movements are really funny. They walk really slowly and sway so much when the walk. However, I have seen them go lightning speeds when I scared them. I've even seen my orchid female jump from the side of the aquarium to catch a prey.

 

[OGIGA]

Here's my orchid male! He finally molted to adult last night when I was asleep and I finally got him to eat two blue bottles a couple hours ago.

Hmm, he is a lot more brown than I had expected. I thought he would end up pink. Oh well.

 

[OGIGA]

Here's my orchid female. I just fed her 20 blue bottles! :shock: Yesterday, I fed her 4 crane flies and 7 blue bottles. Now she's all fattened up.

 

[OGIGA]

Here's my budwing. She(?) molted just a few minutes ago. Looks like she became quite a lot greener. Her bottom side is even more green.

 

[Jenn]

Great pictures! I love the little green budwing...

 

[OGIGA]

Woohoo! He finally molted into adult! He's my only male stagmomantis californica so I hope he likes to mate. Three females are lined up for him.

 

[OGIGA]

My subadult female is all pink!

Actually, I turned up the saturation so the pink would be pinker. :wink:

 

[OGIGA]

Stagmomantis Californica adult male

 

[Way.Of.The.Mantis]

What kind of beetle is that?

 

[OGIGA]

What kind of beetle is that?

The thing it's eating? That's actually a bluebottle.

 

[colddigger]

Here's my orchid male! He finally molted to adult last night when I was asleep and I finally got him to eat two blue bottles a couple hours ago.

A manly pic of a manly mantis

Hmm, he is a lot more brown than I had expected. I thought he would end up pink. Oh well.

Is it not normal for a male Orchid to be brown? if it's a rarity then you should try to breed it as much as possible, then you could name it after yourself for the sciency name, common name: Orchid mantis brown varient!

I'd nab dat!

nab= buy, steal, or nab