Rhombodera cf. valida - hatch & nymphs

[Precarious]

Pics of momma here:

COBRA MANTIS!!! (photos & video)

Rhombodera (unknown sp. - HELP!) Mating, Ooth

I'll try to post video of the hatch soon. When I do I'll put it place of this text.

Biggest hatch I ever had. 359 nymphs! They came out about 30 at a time over 4 hours. They had little black skullcaps, probably to help protect the head as they push through the ooth.

 

[agent A]

So cute! If u sell them I'll take a few

 

[Precarious]

Duplicate post...

 

[Precarious]

L1

L2

L2s availabel here:

http://mantidforum.n...showtopic=24000

 

[itzjustjeff]

awesome shots!

 

[LLCoolJew]

WOAH!!! OUTSTANDING!!

Congratulations on your new hatchlings!!

 

[hibiscusmile]

WoW , what a picture that is! Send it to the sci fi station, surely they will make a movie out of that!

 

[hibiscusmile]

oh yea, me too!

 

[Chivalry]

Wow your pics are breathtaking.

 

[lunarstorm]

Dat new macro lens! Going to work.

 

[Precarious]

Dat new macro lens! Going to work.

That's still the old lens.

I used the new lens for the pics of the Orchid mommy here:

http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=23988&view=findpost&p=183990

 

[Precarious]

Wow your pics are breathtaking.

Thanks! The funny thing is I was shooting video at the same time! Hopefully I'll get the video up soon.

 

[ismart]

Wow! :blink: Fantastic pics! I really need to invest in a new camera!

 

[bobericc]

Omg @little black helmets

That is crazy!

 

[lunarstorm]

Omg @little black helmets

That is crazy!

Agreed, that's the first time I've seen that cap/helmet in a new hatch. I wonder if it's more common and occurs with various species but just not something I noticed previously?

 

[Precarious]

Omg @little black helmets

That is crazy!

Agreed, that's the first time I've seen that cap/helmet in a new hatch. I wonder if it's more common and occurs with various species but just not something I noticed previously?

I think we just don't normally get to see close enough to tell what's what.

I can see Oxyopsis gracilis had similar helmets though not black or as obvious. After a hatch what's dangling at the end of the threads is the egg casing. That would be where to look for the skullcaps.

I've also noticed that nearly all species hatch with a lot of excess fluid in their heads. I think this serves two purposes; it protects the head as it pushed out of the ooth, and is the fluid used to expand the body as they pull out of the egg case. It had me scratching my head for a while but I think this is the explanation. The body grows quite a bit when they emerge and something has to inflate that bigger body.

Here's a good example:

Sibylla pretiosa (So much fluid you can see into the head!)

Then an hour later...

Ghosts go from this...

To this...

Oxyopsis gracilis go from this...

To this...

Pretty extreme differences!

 

[happy1892]

I know house flies inflate their heads to split open the pupa. Maybe mantids inflate their head to split open the egg.

 

[Precarious]

I know house flies inflate their heads to split open the pupa. Maybe mantids inflate their head to split open the egg.

That doesn't appear to be the case. I've never seen the head actually fluctuate the way a fly's does. Doesn't look flexible. More like a compressed pocket of fluid hard enough to push through.

 

[happy1892]

That doesn't appear to be the case. I've never seen the head actually fluctuate the way a fly's does. Doesn't look flexible. More like a compressed pocket of fluid hard enough to push through.

I think you are right. It is amazing that the nymphs can come out of that ootheca.