RIP to our S. Limbata females :(

[cloud jaguar]

Two of our three adult female S. Limbatas died finally - one Christmas eve and one on Christmas day - how sad One of these two was the one that really got us interested in mantids.

I have noticed that despite it being very late for wildcaught mantids to still be alive, the Limbatas really looked pretty good up until the end there. One of the two had started going blind over a month ago and otherwise seemed fine. Just in the morning I noticed that one seemed listless and was haning waaaay lower than usual in her net cage. Then later she was just dead and had fallen. Same with the other we found this morning dead

Well at least we have dozens of their nymphs crawling around to remember them by.

 

[cloud jaguar]

Two of our three adult female S. Limbatas died finally - one Christmas eve and one on Christmas day - how sad One of these two was the one that really got us interested in mantids.

I have noticed that despite it being very late for wildcaught mantids to still be alive, the Limbatas really looked pretty good up until the end there. One of the two had started going blind over a month ago and otherwise seemed fine. Just in the morning I noticed that one seemed listless and was haning waaaay lower than usual in her net cage. Then later she was just dead and had fallen. Same with the other we found this morning dead

Now we have only one S. Limbata who laid an ooth last night and is mostly blind and must be handfed. Also the odd Californica is also alive and seems healthy

Well at least we have dozens of their nymphs crawling around to remember our deceased pets by. Plus thier bodies are in the fridge so that we can encase them in resin.

~Arkanis

 

[Katnapper]

I'm glad they gave you so much enjoyment, and a new passion in life, while they were here. And having their babies to carry on their legacy is a sweet reminder and testament to your care of them.

I have the same situation with my S. carolinas... last one gone now though. But I have one ooth of babies hatched, and 9 in diapause to hatch in the Spring. Enough to re-populate the area with their offspring, and keep some for myself too!

 

[Rick]

You will find that they don't last long. Can't get attached to an insect.

 

[kamakiri]

Sorry to hear, Arkanis. I'm going through the same thing with my religiosas...

Just one adult left and her last/6th ooth was just plain ugly. To top it off she got some of the ooth material stuck on one of the rear tarsus and hasn't bothered to clean it up.

 

[revmdn]

Sorry about your loss.

 

[cloud jaguar]

It will be interesting to see who among us with wildcaught mantids will have theirs live the longest. I guess in nature they hatch out at different times with the Chinese being first? is that right?

 

[Peter Clausen]

I still have the two adult female S. limbata that I caught in Southeast AZ in the last week of August. One was adult and the other was a sub-adult at the time (molted shortly after I got back to Oregon the following week or two).

One of them was looking a little sluggish the other day, but laid a smallish ootheca yesterday.

Again, I keep my home at about 69 to 70 degrees. The reptile lights warm that part of the room up a few extra degrees during the day though I move my mantises around from time to time within the room based on various factors.

 

[cloud jaguar]

Well, our S. Californica died this morning Now we have only 1 S. Limbata left as 3 S. Limbatas have died recently. Oh well.

 

[Peter Clausen]

I do think it would be very interesting to hear who has the longest living mantis that matured in the '08 natural season. My locally collected M. religiosa died about 2 months back.

 

[nasty bugger]

How long did your mantis' live?

I am new to this, and hatched out some ootheca's earlier this month, and had one of my mantis' just molt into either the 3rd or 4th instar, not sure, but I think it's the third instar.

I left for a couple days out of town to see family for Christmas, and came back and this mantis was just shedding, first actual shed of the skin I'd seen on these. It's molted skin was attached to the t shirt that I use for screen over the jar.

This mantis is lime, or as I like to call it, homer simpson nuclear green, right now. It's foot was stuck in the molted skin when I got here, but after a struggle it got free. Seems to be sluggish, which may or may not be normal, since I've not witnessed the actual molt before I don't know.

I made sure to mist the jar, quart mason jar covered with t shirt as screen, to help moisten things up, as It didn't get misted for the few days I was gone.

I read that if sufficient humidity isn't present that feet can be injured, and this one doesn't seem to climb the jar as well as they usually do, and I'm wondering if this is normal after a molt, or if there may be a problem. I missed misting them for about 4 days, so I'm wondering if this may be an issue. It just seems awkward in the jar now. It just shed last night, so...

 

[sk8erkho]

Sorry to hear about your mantis, as well. the longest I have had a mantis live is 11 months and then it could not do much of anything for itself. It could barely catch and hold food. I had the choice of freezer time or just let it go naturally, my boys convinced me to let it go naturally. Unfortunately, they do not live long maybe 12 months if you are lucky! But, sometimes it is not so easy to not care because this is something you are rearing and caring for on a daily basis. If only for a month or so okay, but when you go for months at a time caring for anything it's not easy not to get attached.

 

[cloud jaguar]

Well, our final S. Limbata died this afternoon - we had hoped she lasted into the new year. As always, it is sad when a nice chirpy pet dies, hopefully she is catching flies in the great beyond. Well, she died on new years eve. If anyone has an s. *limbata which lives into the new year let me know - i am interested to know which species of wildcaught ones live the latest in southwestern us - i guess ithe limbatas in florida live year long is that right?

 

[PhilinYuma]

Well, our final S. Limbata died this afternoon - we had hoped she lasted into the new year. As always, it is sad when a nice chirpy pet dies, hopefully she is catching flies in the great beyond. Well, she died on new years eve. If anyone has an s. *limbata which lives into the new year let me know - i am interested to know which species of wildcaught ones live the latest in southwestern us - i guess ithe limbatas in florida live year long is that right?

My lone, infertile female, caught on October 6th, is still alive and healthy at 0002 on 010109 Perhaps she is still hoping to find a mate!

So far as I know, there are no S. limbata in the wild in Florida.

As for your departed friends, may the Great Mantis Goddess keep them close to her heart, et lux perpetua luceat eis.

 

[Peter Clausen]

Reporting in...two wild caught Arizona S. limbata celebratin' the New Year here in Oregon!

 

[Dinora]

You will find that they don't last long. Can't get attached to an insect.

I'm sorry for your loss! Sadly, I agree with Rick, my very first one died within hours of getting it.