Rhombodera sp. (Malaysian Giant Shield Mantid) mating sequence

[caliman707]

hi rob,sadly no,i picked these up from someone on ebay of all places,only managed to get two so i dropped lucky to get both sexes really...i matured the female for 6wks before mating and fed her predominantly on pollen feeding insects and adult locusts fed on vegetable matter. She is approximately 100mm long and aggressive!

I'm maturing my 1st pair of Rhombodera's. I see that you measured the female at 100mm, but did you happen to measure the male? Did you have any trouble distinguishing between male and female pre L4? I dont know if I have 2 males or 2 females, so if you have any advice I would appreciate it.

 

[mr nick]

I'm maturing my 1st pair of Rhombodera's. I see that you measured the female at 100mm, but did you happen to measure the male? Did you have any trouble distinguishing between male and female pre L4? I dont know if I have 2 males or 2 females, so if you have any advice I would appreciate it.

The male was roughly 80mm in length,i did a quick measurement while they were 'on the job' and distracted,ha,ha..i still have the female,she has laid another ooth today making 7 in total. As for sexing around L4..i use a magnifying glass to count the segments when they are in the 'raised' postion after a heavy feed,not easy but its about the best way to do it,or get a close up picture in macro mode on a digital camera and take a closer look on a 15" screen or so,that works for me. Obviously,the female has fewer segments and the last segment is usually the biggest,and males tend to have longer antennae on the head. As for any other tips,keep them warm and humid and pay particular attention to humidity when they are preparing to moult and feed a varied diet as possible with plenty of moths and pollen feeding insects to (possibly) boost colour and vitality.

I have to say though,that this species has been my favourite of the many species i have kept and certainly one of the most rewarding.