Rhombodera cf. stallii info needed

[Granny's Mantis Mayhem]

I just got in some  Rhombodera cf. stallii and I'm having a really hard time finding any info on them.

Temp, Humidity, Preferred foods. The biggest question is where are they from?

Also trying to learn about the Red Devil Morph and how to achieve it.

 

[5eyesUK]

Hi @Granny's Mantis Mayhem Again Its Hana

One thing you can have fun with (its time consuming and youll only find fragments)is to put stalii into the search here......

I have tried that a few times, last time just now and ive discovered something new.

Rhombodera stalii = Java shield mantis

That was said by an owner who is Chinese, now living in San Francisco and he moderates 2 Chinese praying mantis forums. So i guess he should know...  

That thread is here 





Keep me posted if you discovered any useful info please

 

[5eyesUK]

Actually, i give up lol

Basalis is java shield aswell, obviously theres as much confusion as ever...

 

[Granny's Mantis Mayhem]

Thank you  at least its something. You're having much better luck than me. So interesting that we can't find any info on this species...

 

[5eyesUK]

Yes @Granny's Mantis Mayhem at least we can  feel special

 

[Granny's Mantis Mayhem]

LOL LOL right!!! 

 

[Granny's Mantis Mayhem]

Still hoping for info if anyone has any

 

[hysteresis]

R basalis

https://www.mantidsandmore.com/lexicon/rhombodera-basalis/

R valida

https://www.mantidsandmore.com/lexicon/rhombodera-valida/

 

[Granny's Mantis Mayhem]

OMG thank you so so so much!!!!!  Wooooo finally some info I really can't thank you enough  

 

[Granny's Mantis Mayhem]

Wow these guys have a pretty long life span I love it!!

 

[hysteresis]

My eyes are glazing. I have stalli and basalis coming.

 

[Granny's Mantis Mayhem]

Nice can't wait to see some photo's

 

[hysteresis]

I have to learn photography. That's such a part of this experience. I Have a decent DSLR but need to invest in lighting, and a good lens. Maybe even a macro lens for detail. 

 

[Mantis Lady]

A shield mantis is still on my list i want to keep someday.

 

[hysteresis]

A shield mantis is still on my list i want to keep someday.

I have stalli and basalis coming next week. I am sooo excited! 

 

[Predatorhousepet]

I have a M/F pair of basalis currently and have also had the species several times in the past. My current male is adult and the female is one molt from becoming adult. They are long lived for a mantis and aggressive eaters. They are easy to hand feed with feeding tongs (6" long pointed tip tweezers) and as soon as they see I have a food item they pounce on it. The female will sometimes be so aggressive about it she will bite the metal tips of the tongs so hard I can feel her bites vibrating up the shaft.    They've never tried to bite me when I'm handling them, however, they are fairly docile as long as no food is around. However, their raptorial claws get quite prickly as adults so you might get an accidental pinch when they crawl on you, it doesn't hurt much, at least. They seem to prefer to eat blue bottle flies, waxworms, mealworms (behead them first), crickets, and red runner roaches.

Male & female basalis are roughly the same size as adults, the male just has a more tapered abdomen. Because basalis is a larger species they can stay in a deli cup only up until L5 then they have to be moved to a larger enclosure. When they become an adult their entire body will fill the length of the cup, much too small for them to reside in permenantly but ok for temporary feeding. They prefer a temperature range of about 70° to 85°F, I keep mine at room temperature, around 76° to 78°F.  Humidity should be between 60 to 80%. Where I live is already pretty humid so I only mist every other day. If you live in a drier climate you may need to mist every day or get a humidifier for the room. In the wild R. basalis is found in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Borneo.

When basalis are ready to mate both the male's and female's abdomens will turn from pale red to bright red. The female will display her abdomen by perching upsidedown with her head down & abdomen upward then slightly parting her wings so the red inner wings show. (I think she resembles a lovely red flower from afar.) The male will also display his reddened abdomen by parting his wings but he will bend his abdomen far to one side, I think to impress the female with how flexible his abdomen is and therefore able to complete a successful connection when mating. When you put them together they need a large enclosure with lot of foliage, whether real or fake, that the male can hide in after he is done.

As for the red devil morph you just have to buy them that way and mate them to get more. You can't turn a regular green basalis into a red one, it's based on their genetics. There are some other variations in coloration of R. basalis, some have yellow inner wings instead of bright red or bright pink.

Any other questions?

 

[hysteresis]

@Predatorhousepet care is the same for all rhombodera sp. correct? 

 

[Predatorhousepet]

As far as I know. I've only kept R.basalis but other Rhombodera species have similar habitats so I would venture their needs are also similar. It isn't far off from basic mantis care anyway. R. basalis are very hardy and can tolerate some variation in their environment.

 

[hysteresis]

I love your choice of words.