Too Hot for Creos?

[sporeworld]

Yeah, that's why I did it. I clearly got immediate mounting in the high temps, and ZERO in low, even from the same mantids.

Still struggling with managing temps in the new setup - it's not under heat lamps, just dual flouros, and a heat pad (and my heat rock hasn't arrived yet). But I DID do some experiments with Exo Terra Heat Cables, that I'm pretty happy with. Hope to put it into these enclosures in a day or two. That, or it's back under the heat lamps for YOU, Mr and Ms Creo!

 

[sporeworld]

Get this: About 15 minutes after I put the heat lamp on them (up to 88F, but only 25% RH), I turned around and saw this:

 

[psyconiko]

Excellent!Congratulations!It was worth the effort.25% RH,very interesting.My Creos are always mating in the upper part of my terrarium(a vertical one).It seems that when they rest and are not mating they spend most of their time in the lower part of the terra(lower temp but higher RH),especially the males.But when mating(or wiiling to) they are ALWAYS in the upper part looking for heat,I have never seen them mating down the ground.So I think you did the right thing by decreasing RH.I will try not to spray mine for a while,see what is happening then!

 

[sporeworld]

WARNING: Image of a Graphic Nature Below!

Love's first casualty.

This little boy went in over his head. Plenty of food, so I think he just got on her nerves.

Poor thing.

He'll be missed. Once he stops walking around...

 

[lancaster1313]

Aww, he is bleeding. I get annoyed when that happens, and the attacker doesn't even finish their prey. <_< I would feed him to something.

 

[psyconiko]

If he is still walking around,he may still be able to mate.

I had a beheaded S. viridis that stayed "alive" for a whole week.And I have heard of a chicken called Mike....

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Well I do hope he got to finish before the Queen said "Off With His Head"...

 

[sporeworld]

Yeah, he did. Not even sure the girl in question did the munching - just a realable assumption. All the gals are bloated on BB's, so it wasn't out of hunger.

 

[sporeworld]

Got a quick video of a failed attempt at courtship. It shows a bit of the male's maneuvers, and the dissapointment as she RUNS away!

http://s1085.photobucket.com/albums/j439/Sporeworld1/?action=view&current=CreoMaleMatingDance024.mp4

 

[PhilinYuma]

She'll be back! How long have the M and F been adults? Have you seen her calling? Temp and RH?

My interest has nothing to do with the fact that mine are 2 molts behind yours!

 

[sporeworld]

Ha, ha, ha!

I've got a ceramic heat bulb (or whatever they're called) trained dead-center and they all kind of huddle near it (all the flies do). It's 85f/40rh in the cold spots, but probably 95 in the center (I only have the one meter in there, and I'm terrified to open the enclosure - there's like 20 winged creos seeking revenge! I've cooked them into killing machines!!!

I didn't see her calling in particular, but I think she was the one that just mated (you can see her abdomen pulsing and her back side looks like it's... recovering... from mating very recently. Not sure how to phrase that. I keep the camera handy, so I'll snap pics of what I can.

Haven't seen an ooth yet (any day now), and who knows if they'll be fertile, bt barring that, I'd say project way-too-hot was a success.

 

[sporeworld]

Fairly consistent temps and humidity in the tank now (80F/60rh) seems to produce at least 2 females mating at any given moment (out of 6). I honestly can't tell them apart, and haven't marked them, so it could be just two really popular young ladies. Heating pad plus small flouros above. I had a ceramic heat lamp on them for a few days which seemed to stimulate the breeding. It's off now, but there's still plenty of "action".

One more act of cannibalism (male on male). Both were lurking on the bottom for several days, which seemed odd. I suspect one or both were getting too old. Maybe.

 

[psyconiko]

I have tried to lower humidity recently,and I thought females were more agressive.But they keep laying.I had 3 more oothes today!

 

[sporeworld]

Here's a video of an interested male trying to seduce a WAY NOT interested female.

http://s1085.photobucket.com/albums/j439/Sporeworld1/?action=view&current=Creo-BestMaleattemptatmatingdance013.mp4

 

[sporeworld]

So, first mating coming up on a month ago (I think around April 27th) and no ooths yet. Once they drop the first one, we'll have a good timeline here of nymph to ooth. I'll probably let that go full circle then we can have a nice new caresheet.

 

[sporeworld]

BTW, there are ALWAYS stragglers. My LAST little male FINALLY molted to adult today. No idea why some in identical conditions can take so much longer....

 

[Termite48]

I am also rearing some Creo. pictipennis. I tried breeding one female to my only male and he was a little hesitant to say the least. He took flight and after catching him in my skylight well, he repeatedly escaped and finally after abot five times repeating this catch and escapre routine, I left him in the skylight well to teach him or me a lesson. I think we both learned something because when I finally rescued him an hour or so later, he was "dazed and confused". he actually fained death or was actually stunned perhaps from the severely strong light up in the skylight well. I placed him gently in the net cage, where he gradually came around. Now he is happily riding the back of the same female with whom I tried him yesterday. She, by the way, as he was mounted, gladly ate two BB's and at one point had one land right on her head. All is well in Creoville.

 

[Zeebweeny]

Finnally read this thread and I'm glad to see that my lil babies are doing great! And don't worry ooths will come and lots of them. I had a batch with only 3 females, and I had 20+ ooths.

 

[sporeworld]

Finnally read this thread and I'm glad to see that my lil babies are doing great! And don't worry ooths will come and lots of them. I had a batch with only 3 females, and I had 20+ ooths.

Thanks, Zeeb.

You know, I read your post and thought, "Yeah... Where are all my zillion ooths...?"

So I pulled out my Creos (only females - all the males got munched), and cleaned out the cage. Could NOT find a single ooth. UNTIL... Until I turned over the heavily shaded, leaf covered back of my grapevine stumps. And what did I find...? Ten various sized ooths cleverly hidden from view! Those little sneaks!

 

[sporeworld]

And ONE of those little gals was lookin' mighty suspicious... Less than an hour later, and looking a little shameful, I caught her laying yet another ooth...