They grow up so fast!

[guapoalto049]

L3 Idolo:

Couple of bros hangin out:

L3 Budwing and Devil:

Distant cousins:

First date:

Fresh female adult:

L4 Idolo:

L4 Idolomantis and L8 Rhombodera:

 

[Seattle79]

Nice collection you got there.

 

[thorhack]

They all just chill in the same enclosure?

 

[guapoalto049]

They all just chill in the same enclosure?

I typcially keep species together, but not interspecies cages. I think it would be cool to keep ghosts violins and Idolos in one big enclosure, I just don't have the numbers to be confident with it.

 

[LauraMG]

They're beautiful! I love them! :wub:

 

[lancaster1313]

Great pics!

 

[myzticalboi]

Awesome collection! Great pictures!

 

[mantisboy]

Awesome collection! Great pictures!

Very cool pics!

 

[hibiscusmile]

Nice babies, reminds me of the Spongebob episode where he has his bubble buddy, title is " ?" thought I was going to give it to yous' didn't you? Look it up

 

[Precarious]

Nice pics!

 

[angelofdeathzz]

great pics, I like the way you photographed them together.

 

[guapoalto049]

Thanks everyone, they're up here for your enjoyment!

@angelofdeathzz:

I think taking pictures of them close to eachother is a neat concept. For instance, who would have thought that an L4 Idolo and a L8 Rhombodera would be nearly the same size? And showing size comparisons of adults is always cool, such as the ghost and violin pic.

Before I began raising exotics, I always wanted to see comparison pictures like that. Reading how long a species is doesn't tell you much, but showing it in relation to other mantids does.

 

[guapoalto049]

Budwing giving her best effort at catching her first bluebottle:

This is my new creation. Its a glass terrarium with a metal screen top. I constructed a jungle gym frame of bamboo inside, along with some thin twigs, leaves, and coconut fiber across the top.

The cage is currently being used to breed my violins (you can see the female upside down) for its ability to hold temperatures. One they mate I'll keep my now L5 Idolos in here for the remainder of their lives:

L5 Idolos:

Three Chinese ooths. The Virginia stock ended up being larger and laying much larger eggs, despite being raised the same. The local female stock were all about 9 cm with the V stock close to 10cm. The V stock had much larger heads/heavier builds. I'm going to see if this continues in the next generation: