She was born free...

[messianicmomof3]

well, we set our mantis free yesterday...we've had her for two molts, the last one left her with two beautiful wings...we had planned on keeping her. Letting her draw a mate, lay us an egg sac...but when I saw her beautiful wings it seemed as if she was longing to be out "there" beyong the glass window, in the wild...it was bitter sweet...we really grew attached to her. We learned alot from her. Today we went back to where we let her go, she was still there. We tried to coax her onto our hands she just reared back leaped and jumped to the ground. We gently picked her up and put her back on a bush and said our fairwells...my girls said, what happened? she used to walk on our hands and now she doesn't want to...I said she was born wild and now she is where she was suppose to be...funny how little things like insects can grown on you...lol

 

[The_Asa]

Better not get any exotic species if you are going to have that urge again :lol:

 

[messianicmomof3]

Better not get any exotic species if you are going to have that urge again :lol:

:lol: I know your right! :lol: catching and observing an insect was part of our science curriculum...our next project...raising Triops...they only live nor more than 90 days...how attached can we get to a tadpole with a exoskeleton???? :lol:

 

[Andrew]

A looong time ago, I bought one of those butterfly kits from Insect Lore. Over several weeks, I watched the tiny little caterpillars turn into chrysalides, and then into big beautiful butterflies. I kept them for a couple of days, but soon began feeling guilty watching them flutter against the walls of their tiny cube. So, I decided it was time. I took the box into the backyard, opened the top, and watched my little friends escape one by one, admiring how majestic they were flying about in the sky, finally free. I admired them for a moment, and then turned to go back inside when something caught my eye. I turned and watched, to my horror, as a bird swooped down, grabbed one of the butterflies and pin it to the fence, and then eat it. Like little sea turtles scrambling towards the ocean, I watched as the birds picked off a second, and finally a third. Only one of the little guys managed to escape the backyard.

True story.

 

[messianicmomof3]

A looong time ago, I bought one of those butterfly kits from Insect Lore. Over several weeks, I watched the tiny little caterpillars turn into chrysalides, and then into big beautiful butterflies. I kept them for a couple of days, but soon began feeling guilty watching them flutter against the walls of their tiny cube. So, I decided it was time. I took the box into the backyard, opened the top, and watched my little friends escape one by one, admiring how majestic they were flying about in the sky, finally free. I admired them for a moment, and then turned to go back inside when something caught my eye. I turned and watched, to my horror, as a bird swooped down, grabbed one of the butterflies and pin it to the fence, and then eat it. Like little sea turtles scrambling towards the ocean, I watched as the birds picked off a second, and finally a third. Only one of the little guys managed to escape the backyard.True story.

O how horrible! but as my daughter would say, "That's natures way..."

 

[hibiscusmile]

:blink: Thanks, I feel bad enough most of the time,,, especially when they sit with their heads down watching their poop daring it to move.... :wacko: I mean you know how I feel about it when they do that...sniff,,,,sniff.... but I make myself feel better by telling myself "self, if they were outside, they would be ate by something else" ! Course it usually don't work. I traded some mantis for some Luna moths and they hatched and sure enough, I felt the same way, I kicked my self all the way out to the walnut tree, where I let them loose and put the unhatched cases right around the tree. What a way to waste me money and time. I won't do that again :lol: <_<

 

[MantidLord]

A looong time ago, I bought one of those butterfly kits from Insect Lore. Over several weeks, I watched the tiny little caterpillars turn into chrysalides, and then into big beautiful butterflies. I kept them for a couple of days, but soon began feeling guilty watching them flutter against the walls of their tiny cube. So, I decided it was time. I took the box into the backyard, opened the top, and watched my little friends escape one by one, admiring how majestic they were flying about in the sky, finally free. I admired them for a moment, and then turned to go back inside when something caught my eye. I turned and watched, to my horror, as a bird swooped down, grabbed one of the butterflies and pin it to the fence, and then eat it. Like little sea turtles scrambling towards the ocean, I watched as the birds picked off a second, and finally a third. Only one of the little guys managed to escape the backyard.True story.

ROFL. I knew it would end that way. Man that sucks. That's why I'm afraid to let my two male I. oratorias. I'm waiting to find 2 females. But if I don't within 2 weeks, they're going back to where I found them as L1 hatchlings.

 

[hibiscusmile]

ROFL. I knew it would end that way. Man that sucks. That's why I'm afraid to let my two male I. oratorias. I'm waiting to find 2 females. But if I don't within 2 weeks, they're going back to where I found them as L1 hatchlings.

I think I have one that just turned adult, but will have to look at her, the male died in the last molt. If I do , do u want her?