Rhombodera cf valida Hatch

[patrickfraser]

Congrats! I was a failure with this generation. Hardly any males and very aggressive females was a bad equation for me. I have 6 females that remain unbred.

 

[Precarious]

Congrats! I was a failure with this generation. Hardly any males and very aggressive females was a bad equation for me. I have 6 females that remain unbred.

Ouch! I only kept 8 nymphs for myself and they were all female. Tracked down one male. He mated one female who laid a single ooth and died. That's the ooth hatching now. Tried for over a month to get him to mate the other females with no luck. He'd jump on their back then lose interest. Had to save his life many times. It was a tedious process. Then he began to fade really fast. His feet no longer gripped properly. I spent hours getting him on one of the females then coaxing him to connect. Had to keep tapping him to keep him on mission until he finally connected. He died a few days later. I'm still waiting for that female to lay and that ooth is promised as part of a trade so this hatch is all we have to work with.

I wish I could find a way to sex the nymphs. I have a hard time all the way up til pre or sub.

 

[agent A]

Ouch! I only kept 8 nymphs for myself and they were all female. Tracked down one male. He mated one female who laid a single ooth and died. That's the ooth hatching now. Tried for over a month to get him to mate the other females with no luck. He'd jump on their back then lose interest. Had to save his life many times. It was a tedious process. Then he began to fade really fast. His feet no longer gripped properly. I spent hours getting him on one of the females then coaxing him to connect. Had to keep tapping him to keep him on mission until he finally connected. He died a few days later. I'm still waiting for that female to lay and that ooth is promised as part of a trade so this hatch is all we have to work with.

I wish I could find a way to sex the nymphs. I have a hard time all the way up til pre or sub.

A good way i sexed stali nymphs was to take shots of the emd of the abdomen at L4 and look at it, females have a wide area that has a V notch at the tip while males have almost a narrow diamond shape to the much smaller last segment

 

[Precarious]

A good way i sexed stali nymphs was to take shots of the emd of the abdomen at L4 and look at it, females have a wide area that has a V notch at the tip while males have almost a narrow diamond shape to the much smaller last segment

Gee, if I had a camera that took good closeups I probably would have tried that.

Another useful sexing tip:

 

[Bug Trader]

I'm not sure how it comes down to just one or two people each yr that manage to keep a line alive, based on how many get shared and spread around its crazy that one person has to feel obligated to keep them and breed them rather than move on to new challenges. We have seen Idolomantis, Rhombodera, Parymenopus, and many other species play out like this I have to wonder where all the mantids are going and what faiths they are suffering.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

I'm not sure how it comes down to just one or two people each yr that manage to keep a line alive, based on how many get shared and spread around its crazy that one person has to feel obligated to keep them and breed them rather than move on to new challenges. We have seen Idolomantis, Rhombodera, Parymenopus, and many other species play out like this I have to wonder where all the mantids are going and what faiths they are suffering.

You and me both, most people want more than they research I think. They tend to realize only after they're all dead.

 

[bobericc]

This is really great news!

They are such fun beautiful mantids with a nice ballanced personality

Id say to go another gen just in case man,don't forget the rhombo did well in your hands for a reason.

 

[Precarious]

I'm not sure how it comes down to just one or two people each yr that manage to keep a line alive, based on how many get shared and spread around its crazy that one person has to feel obligated to keep them and breed them rather than move on to new challenges. We have seen Idolomantis, Rhombodera, Parymenopus, and many other species play out like this I have to wonder where all the mantids are going and what faiths they are suffering.

It does suck. Yen was the guardian of many species for a very long time. In most cases there is no reason for it. People like to be cheap and buy 1 or 2 nymphs and hope someone else will have a mate when the time comes. I stopped selling singles because it was more trouble than it was worth. Too much hassle making packaging and a trip to the post office for the little money it brought in. So now I don't sell anything less than $20 which usually works out to at least a group of 3 nymphs. And I always give a price break on 10 or more to encourage larger groups.

Some species are difficult. I failed with Idolo twice so I get it. If not for support from friends I would have lost valida last generation already. But overall, I can't understand where the males all went or if the sexes are so unbalanced in this species.

You and me both, most people want more than they research I think. They tend to realize only after they're all dead.

I think it's more they lose interests and aren't attentive enough. As I've stated many times I keep all species pretty much the same so not much research necessary. If anything others try too hard to meet native conditions and the added heat and only misting a couple times a week that kills them. You raised Idolo so you know how easy it can be to over do it and dry them out.

 

[Precarious]

Id say to go another gen just in case man,don't forget the rhombo did well in your hands for a reason.

I know. That's why I'd feel guilty if they die out.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

All I can say Henry is if your not exactly right your never far from it!