Orchid Nymph development timing

[Zoegp]

Hello all,

I recently purchased a bunch of L2 orchid nymphs  from Mantis Dictator and I am very excited to rear them. This is my first time raising orchids. What are the average times between instars? How long do they take to reach adulthood, and how long do they live once they are adults? 

I understand that development time can vary a lot by temperature and food quantity. I have heat lamps and a source for excessive amounts of fruit flies and houseflies. I would love to hear about your experience with development time!

Thank you!

 

[Zoegp]

On a related note, why are the nymphs called L1, L2 etc for each of their instars? Specifically, what does the L stand for? 

 

[Cole 78]

This should help!

Also more specific quote from it to help answer your question

"

Development

• Molts take place about every three weeks until the ultimate molt which can take twice as long. Hatchlings are red and black and may mimic certain assassin bugs. Later instars to adult are white to pink.
  
• Adults live from three to six months, rarely much longer.
  
• Molting rarely encounters problems in captivity despite the leg extensions. " -Orin
  

" 


What’s up with this L1, L2, L6 business?


Sorry about that! The L-numbers are a very easy way to signal the developmental stage of a praying mantis. It is used by biologists for many insect species. When the praying mantis is born it is at L1 level, the first instar. When it molts it sheds its skin and reaches the second instar, L2. Usually it looks different too. Every consecutive molt it will go up in L-number until it reaches adulthood. Then it is just called “adult”. Sometimes the second last stage will be called subadult, indicating it needs only one more molt to become adult. "

(https://www.keepinginsects.com/praying-mantis/faq/)

I dug around the web to try to find answers to your questions. Hope this helps @Zoegp !

-Cole 

 

[Graceface]

I'm newer to raising Orchids, (just got my first females to adulthood from L3) but I'd be happy to share any experience I have. 

Cole's info above is great! Care sheets are helpful for basic info; the ones here and on keeping insects are good resources. 

You are correct that temperatures and food levels will affect growth rates. My females (kept in the mid to upper 80s and heavily fed) molted in as little as 10 days. The final molt took 3 weeks give or take a few days. My males (kept in the low 70s and fed less than my females) took up to 5 to 6 weeks to molt to adult. 

I may be wrong, but I think the L stands for either life or larval stage. Instar is a Latin word meaning form or likeness, it's just a fancy way to say they are at stage 1, stage 2, etc in their life cycle. 

Hope that helped! Good luck with your orchids and keep us posted on their development 

 

[MantisGirl13]

Yeah, I agree, I think it means larval stage. I have some orchids from Mantis Dictator as well. One is L2 and three are L3. I got them at L1 and they are great!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Zoegp]

@Cole 78Thank you for sharing the post! I'm new here and didn't see that post, and its super helpful. 

@Graceface-Thank you for sharing your experience! I will definitely be trying to keep my males cold so that I can mate them before they die. 

@MantisGirl13 , @Graceface and @Cole 78 I was afraid the L stood for larva/larval stage. It's just funny that people use that since mantids are hemimetabolis and have nymphs not larvae. N1, N2 etc would work just as well . 

@MantisGirl13 When did you get your orchids? Mine arrived yesterday. I cant wait until their first molt!

 

[MantisGirl13]

I got my orchids almost a month ago. The first molt is definitely exciting!

- MantisGirl13