What instar Creo?

[Chivalry]

I put a lamp on for my poor old T. sinensis today and Kali (C. pictipennis) was near it. I'd been kind of disappointed in her personality since she molted last, she got kind of sedentary and never seemed to want to come out of her container. But it was around 85 degrees on the shelf today, and when I opened her container to feed her she reached up to come out. Guess she likes it warm. I know, duh.

Question though:

She was supposed to be L2 when I got her and she's had 2 molts since then, but I'm thinking she looks older than L4...? What do you think?

I know the second pic is blurry but I added it for size reference.

 

[lancaster1313]

I can't be positive as I just started with the species, but she looks subadult to me. That could be 7th instar?

The whole "L" thing confuses me, as well as counting instars so I could be wrong on that. :blush:

 

[ismart]

I have never kept Creo's. But she looks like a sub-adult to me?

 

[agent A]

Deffo a subadult

 

[Chivalry]

Hah... that's what I thought. Looked like wing buds to me. Thanks!

 

[Ruaumoko]

Not to far from shedding either I would say, you can see the beginning of her ladyparts :whistling:

 

[lancaster1313]

I think that I can make out the marking on her wingbud, So cute!

 

[warpdrive]

You mostly likely got her at 3rd instar or L3. Two molts since then would make her L5, but she looks like L6 to me and close to a new Molt. So I say that she was probably an L3 but you missed a molt or the breeder was way wrong in her age.

 

[Termite48]

If she has reached subadult, she will at times put down her abdomen and walk around with all flattened out. Not at all times, but a lot more. This, I guess gets the mantids ready for the wings to come. Check it out!

 

[lancaster1313]

While every one is posting here...

My adult females keep repeatedly, and breifly, touching the surfaces that they are on with the tips of their abdomens. It is not calling, or feeling around for a place to deposit an ootheca cause some of the ones doing this, just became adult yesterday.

Does anyone know what it is all about?

 

[ismart]

While every one is posting here...

My adult females keep repeatedly, and breifly, touching the surfaces that they are on with the tips of their abdomens. It is not calling, or feeling around for a place to deposit an ootheca cause some of the ones doing this, just became adult yesterday.

Does anyone know what it is all about?

Not sure? Maybe she is still flexing her wings?

 

[lancaster1313]

Not sure? Maybe she is still flexing her wings?

It is all of them. They seem to do it more when disturbed.

I even sniffed at them when they were doing it. I thought that they might be making a defense odor, but it is not something that I can smell if that is what they are doing. lol

They touch and tap whatever they are on with those tip thingies that "scissor" when a mantis lays an ooth.

 

[happy1892]

I am pretty sure she is sub-adult. I have never had this kind. I have not kept many kinds of mantids before.

 

[Chivalry]

They touch and tap whatever they are on with those tip thingies that "scissor" when a mantis lays an ooth.

This sounds to me like the "Creobroter dance" I asked about in another post... they're waving that eye spot as a way of communicating with each other. Apparently species who don't tend to eat each other on sight do this as a way of sort of posturing.

 

[patrickfraser]

It's more like they're wiping their bottom. I've seen it a lot, but figured it "normal" after witnessing it quite a few times. They will lower their backside and swipe it forward like drawing a 1. Does a mantis have any type of hymen? It seems as if maybe there is an obstruction attempting to be cleared. I have no idea, only guesses. But I hear ya.

 

[ismart]

I even sniffed at them when they were doing it. I thought that they might be making a defense odor, but it is not something that I can smell if that is what they are doing. lol

Awesome! You just admitted you sniffed it's butt to see if it farted? :lol:

 

[CoolMantid]

While every one is posting here...

My adult females keep repeatedly, and breifly, touching the surfaces that they are on with the tips of their abdomens. It is not calling, or feeling around for a place to deposit an ootheca cause some of the ones doing this, just became adult yesterday.

Does anyone know what it is all about?

Mine did the same thing!

She was sub-adult and i thought she was calling. Then I thought she molted prematurely and tried calling.

i am curious...

 

[Chivalry]

There's the video of Kali's Creo dance.

 

[CoolMantid]

Its scared of the camera. Its doing a threat display. The brighter colors on the abdomen are supposed to scare away enemies.