Mantis pictures

Mr. Mordax

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 22, 2006
Messages
2,301
The money shot is . . . interesting . . . to say the least, Padkison. *weirded-out emote*

To wonderwes, if I understand my Discovery Channel correctly, their primary defense against bats is to tuck their wings in and simply fall. It works pretty well. And that kill rate wouldn't surprise me -- I accidentally dropped a cricket while feeding my Chinese mantis tonight and it caught the cricket as it fell by its face. :eek:

Regarding the taxonomy, some entomologists consider cockroaches, mantids, walkingsticks, grasshoppers, crickets and katydids to be separate suborders of order Orthoptera. The main thing they have in common is the wing style -- a straight leathery pair of forewings covering a pair of fan-shaped hindwings.

Padkison, that ghost chowing down on the roach is classic. :clap:
 

padkison

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
901
I always try and get a "money shot" of all my mantid pairing. Not because I have got some kind of wierd kinky bug fetish. Rather, I like documentation of matings to verify fertile ooths. It does sort of gross me out in some way too, which is why I posted it, of course.

The money shot is . . . interesting . . . to say the least, Padkison. *weirded-out emote*
 

DJ_AlMighty_247

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 23, 2007
Messages
26
Sphodromantis (maybe centralis/gastrica...?)




Hierodula membranacea,


Hymenopus coronatus,




Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii,
 

padkison

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
901
Nice pics DJ. I love seeing an ooth hatch.

Ghost female playing dead
 

dtknow

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 18, 2004
Messages
2,239
you can see the terror on those poor roaches faces!
 

padkison

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
901
{D

She's pretty placid and laid back. Not like the adult Wide Arm female I had who once she started packing it on to lay ooths, would latch on to your finger if you wiggled it in front of her.

i had to do this...hope you don't mind

moose
 

Mr. Mordax

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 22, 2006
Messages
2,301
That's cool! I've never seen them hold their wings out unless they were doing a threat display.
 

dragontears

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 14, 2005
Messages
266
I thought I should share some macro pics I took of my female Chinese Mantid:

Puppy-dog eyes:




Yummy cricket eggs!


 

johnny888

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
173
Just want to share an old picture of my last surviving Blepharopsis Mendica (taken 2 months ago)



 

Mr. Mordax

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 22, 2006
Messages
2,301
That is a weird-lookin' mantis there. Sure goes good on the Aloe. {D
 

i_like_scorps

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 24, 2007
Messages
80
All these photos and species are stunning! I've always been facinated with mantids but never kept them as pets because I heard they only have about an 8 month life expectancy. Is that correct? If not, what is the average life span of mantids?
 
Top