Alexander's Mantids: 2012 - Present

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MantidBro

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2012:

First got into mantids. Bought 2 Stagmomantis limbata at http://www.livemantis.com

Majesty was at L5 and made it to adulthood.

S.I.R. (Silvia Irwin Reynolds) was at L4 and died as a pre-sub.

Majesty when I first received her:

majesty_staring_by_alexandersmantids-d5hbhz7.jpg


Majesty as an adult:

beautiful_stagmomantis_limbata_by_alexandersmantids-d5ma7vw.jpg


I estimated that Majesty was around 8 - 10 months when she died. I'd bought a Tenodera sinensis ootheca from http://www.backwaterreptiles.com and it hatched before she died.

 
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It was September of 2012 Tenodera sinensis ootheca hatched.

I only got about 16 nymphs - at the time I didn't realize it, but I'd over-misted and didn't provide enough oxygen.

I separated all nymphs; I sold some and kept two for myself, a male and a female, which I'd named Keek and Dakon.

Keek made it to adulthood, but Dakon died at L4 of sickness (puking).

Ootheca hatching:

tenodera_sinensis_ootheca_hatching_by_alexandersmantids-d5hbjqi.jpg


Keek at L1:

tenodera_sinensis_eating_a_flightless_fruit_fly_by_alexandersmantids-d5hbkml.jpg


Keek as an adult:

keek_animation___cleaning_her_foot_by_alexandersmantids-d5ymggq.gif


(I'd made an animation of her cleaning her foot... forever. :p )

 
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Before Keek died, I was offered Phyllocrania paradoxa by a user here, named Chivalry. She only asked for $7; she said she had too many nymphs and said she'd give them to me since Majesty died. I got 2 - a male and a female, as I'd requested. I named the female Kent-Lok ("Royalty") and the male Mostro ("Monster").

Kent-Lok made it to adulthood - she lived 11 months. Mostro made it to sub-adult. He died of sickness (puking).

Kent-Lok when I got her:

kent_lok_the_royal__phyllocrania_paradoxa__l2_by_alexandersmantids-d5l7b2r.jpg


Kent-Lok as an adult:

kent_lok__phyllocrania_paradoxa_adult_female__by_alexandersmantids-d62shc6.jpg


 
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Before Kent-Lok died, I bought 2 Tenodera angustipennis oothecae off eBay. About 60 hatched, all of which I'd separated. I sold most and kept 3; 2 females and a male. The females were Gor-Tok ("gorging") and Hol-Drauk and the male was Morta ("endearing").

Nymphs after just hatching:

tenodera_angustipennis_nymphs__just_hatched_by_alexandersmantids-d5w04fx.jpg


All separated:

mantid_shelf_by_alexandersmantids-d5wfdy0.jpg


(There were some on the shelf above too; the 3 I'd kept.)

Gor-Tok from L1-adult:

gortok_by_alexandersmantids-d69y074.jpg


 
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Before all my Tenodera died, I'd gotten 2 Idolomantis diabolica from a user here, named AngelofDeathzz. Unfortunately, one was puking when it arrived and didnt last long. And the other died about five days later, of the same sickness. Neither made it past L2.

Magnifico:



Lennot:



 
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Still while owning the Tenodera angustipennis and Phyllocrania paradoxa, Peter Clausen and I did a trade. I sent him multiple insects and in return he sent me 9 L1 and L2 Parasphendale agrionina, 2 Popa spurca and 2 Blepharopsis mendica.

The two Popa spurca were females. One at L6, who I named Rekka (blend). And one at L1, who I named Tork (curve). Rekka lived a year, Tork lived 8 months.

Rekka at L6:



Tork at L1:



Both as adults:



(These two seemed to have turned the color that surrounded them during their last molt. Tork (left) molted from an orange lid while Rekka molted from a black lid.)

 
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Great photos. Just sorry to hear about the Idolos - I know you have been wanting them for awhile.

The way your Popa Rekka is holding out her arms, I find my two Deadleaf mantises will do that pose quite often too ;)

 
Great photos. Just sorry to hear about the Idolos - I know you have been wanting them for awhile.

The way your Popa Rekka is holding out her arms, I find my two Deadleaf mantises will do that pose quite often too ;)
Thanks! Yeah I was quite upset when they'd died. I tried again later, purchased five, but only one made the trip, and was puking upon arrival. I have had horrible luck with them. I got an ooth this time -- shipping seems to really not be good for them.

Haha my Deadleafs will do that too sometimes -- I love when mantids make their poses.

 
Lol my deadleaf nymphs do the "super-man-tis" pose too ;) its even greater when they have their raptorial claws fully extended to go along with it. ^_^

 
The 2 Blepharopsis I got were at L3 when I got them (Bugsincyberspace.com). I'd named one Kek-Tor (beastly) and one Nortem (spikes).

Nortem unfortunately mismolted during his first molt with me. I was able to bring him to the next molt, but due to his previous mismolt, his deformities caused him to mismolt again. And this time, he wasn't savable.

Nortem:



Kek-Tor at L3:



Kek-Tor at L6:



Unfortunately, Kek-Tor mismolted, one his last molt. He'd lost two feet somehow which turned out to be detrimental to him during the molt. I'd been at a party at the time -- I was quite upset. This is a species I need to try again, as I didn't successfully bring one to adulthood.

 
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Lol my deadleaf nymphs do the "super-man-tis" pose too ;) its even greater when they have their raptorial claws fully extended to go along with it. ^_^
Haha agreed! :)

I like the one where they put one claw out and one claw bent in half, making a sort of "Y" shape! Looks just like branches.

 
Parasphendale agrionina:

I'd had four males and five females.

Maulon-Et (Number One), was a female and died at L7 of some sickness.





Admirabilis (Admirable), was a female and died at adulthood, after having been mated with and having laid some oothecae.






Monstrum (Monster), was male and died at adulthood. He was my best-mating male! He was eaten after having mated a few times with Vegrandis.








Bud was also male, and was unfortunately eaten after mating with Admirabilis and Vegrandis.









TBC (Can't post anymore photos on this post, so have to do this one in two separate posts)

 
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Wow you have had quite a journey with your mantids... great pics... thanks for sharing!

 
Vegrandis was the mother of my 2 boys Chronos & Tiberius. My first purchase and first exotics in the hobby... So I'm assuming that monstrum was the fathering male?

 
Vegrandis was the mother of my 2 boys Chronos & Tiberius. My first purchase and first exotics in the hobby... So I'm assuming that monstrum was the fathering male?
Oh, no -- you actually just reminded me. Bud mated with Admirabilis AND Vegrandis. So the father was either Bud or Monstrum.

 
Parasphendale agrionina continued...

Galla-Tor (hyper), was male and never successfully mated despite my best efforts. He had held onto Vegrandis for three days without penetration before he was eaten.

l7_male_parasphendale_agrionina__galla_tor_by_alexandersmantids-d6w8chj.jpg


adult_male_parasphendale_agrionina__galla_tor_by_alexandersmantids-d74i316.jpg


Vegrandis (Tiny), was female, and my longest living mantid up to date. She lived just shy of 13 months. She laid many oothecae. She was my favorite of the bunch.

vegrandis_the_l5_budwing_mantis_by_alexandersmantids-d6ocpvf.jpg


l9_female_parasphendale_agrionina__vegrandis_by_alexandersmantids-d6y7b7s.jpg


vegrandis_cleaning__up_close_by_alexandersmantids-d7egehg.jpg


vegrandis_stares_at_the_camera_by_alexandersmantids-d7eg1lh.jpg


vegrandis_adult_female_parasphendale_agrionina_by_alexandersmantids-d7flpoo.jpg


Hexadic (six) was also female. She didn't live as long, and she was extremely defensive. I didn't even try breeding her. She struck me and flared her wings quite often. It just goes to show how different individuals, even of the same species and gender, can be.

hexadic__defense_pose__parasphendale_agrionina_by_alexandersmantids-d75siho.jpg


Creatura (Creature), was male, and was eaten before he'd been able to mate.

creatura__adult_male__parasphendale_agrionina_by_alexandersmantids-d74i32o.jpg


And last there was Youngling, a female, who mismolted on her very last molt as she tried molting from the side of the container (I figured this is what happened because I knew she was close to molting, and she was against the side of the container. I was thinking she would move if she was ready to molt. But when I woke up, she was lying on the floor, half way stuck in her exoskeleton. Since this incident, if I know my mantids are ready to molt, and are in a bad spot, I will move them to the lid).

youngling__deceased__parasphendale_agrionina_adult_by_alexandersmantids-d74uso5.jpg


 
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