# New Idolomantis diabolica, L2



## papilio (May 17, 2014)

_Idolomantis diabolica_, 0.75-inch 2nd instar

















10X focus stack, full frame
232 images


100% res image is HERE

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## freedumbdclxvi (May 17, 2014)

That is absolutely gorgeous.

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## JohnDapiaoen (May 17, 2014)

Extraordinary camerawork as always!! Can't wait to see pics of this monster when its older.

-JohnD.

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## paassatt (May 17, 2014)

May I ask where you procured it?

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## papilio (May 17, 2014)

freedumbdclxvi said:


> That is absolutely gorgeous.


I definitely agree, they are spectacular ... especially as they grow!  




JohnDapiaoen said:


> Extraordinary camerawork as always!! Can't wait to see pics of this monster when its older.
> 
> -JohnD.


Thanks much John!  I can't wait either!!  




paassatt said:


> May I ask where you procured it?


From Rebecca at MantidPets.com.  I've been trying to find them forever!  

I ordered four, one didn't make it ... so I have a great subject for ultra macro.

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## papilio (May 24, 2014)

*The mantisfest continues*

Third instar is here.  



L2 vs. L3

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## xhexdx (May 28, 2014)

*drool*

I have always loved mantids, but don't trust myself enough to keep them without killing them.

Great pics, I'm extremely jealous.

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## papilio (May 28, 2014)

xhexdx said:


> *drool*
> 
> I have always loved mantids, but don't trust myself enough to keep them without killing them.
> 
> Great pics, I'm extremely jealous.


Thanks a lot Joe!  

You'll do just fine, go for it!  

I'd recommend _Phyllocrania paradoxa_, the Ghost Mantis.  Easy for beginners (very hardy), cool-looking, fairly active and curious.  They're very human-like, super fun to watch!
If you're interested go to the link in post #5 and look for *Phyllocrania Paradoxa nymphs IN STOCK*.  Might as well get a few as they're cheap, and as usual there's the relatively high cost of overnight shipping.  Nymphs may need Melanogastors, or depending on their size early on they might be big enough for pinheads.  They're usually fed flies, but I did fine feeding crix to them.

A 2-min video of one of my 1-inch Ghosts
[video=youtube;EXePI6uzcp0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXePI6uzcp0&feature=player_detailpage[/video]





Here are some 10X focus stacks I took of a 2nd instar exuvia ...
_Idolomantis diabolica_

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## Micrathena (May 28, 2014)

I've got a diabolica as my computer wallpaper, they are so gorgeous! I cannot wait until I can get one, how's their care?

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## papilio (May 28, 2014)

Micrathena said:


> I've got a diabolica as my computer wallpaper, they are so gorgeous! I cannot wait until I can get one, how's their care?


They are amazing looking aren't they?  

I've only had them about a week, I can't imagine that there's anything difficult with them.  I'd heard that they're cannibalistic but Rebecca said that they'd be fine together.  Well sadly one of the L3s did eat the little L2, so now I've got the two larger ones in separate enclosures.

They do best in a diet of flies, mine are already eating Blue Bottles.  One ate a sub-adult cricket yesterday but evidently if they're fed crix regularly the females may become sterile.

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## Micrathena (May 28, 2014)

papilio said:


> They are amazing looking aren't they?
> 
> I've only had them about a week, I can't imagine that there's anything difficult with them.  I'd heard that they're cannibalistic but Rebecca said that they'd be fine together.  Well sadly one of the L3s did eat the little L2, so now I've got the two larger ones in separate enclosures.
> 
> They do best in a diet of flies, mine are already eating Blue Bottles.  One ate a sub-adult cricket yesterday but evidently if they're fed crix regularly the females may become sterile.


 Sounds amazing! Next chance I get I will buy one!

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## papilio (Jun 12, 2014)

Wow, the Idolos are already molting _again!_  I finally happened to catch one in the act ...


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## klawfran3 (Jun 14, 2014)

that is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. are they hard to keep? I'm no good at keeping mantids alive so I don't want to try it. I couldn't even get a chinese mantis to make it to L4. -_-

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## papilio (Jun 14, 2014)

klawfran3 said:


> that is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. are they hard to keep? I'm no good at keeping mantids alive so I don't want to try it. I couldn't even get a chinese mantis to make it to L4. -_-


Thank you klawfran3!  

I'm quite new to mantids myself, but in my experience this far I've not yet run into any difficulties ... those which I've kept seem to be at least as hardy as most Ts (in fact certainly easier than slings).  Perhaps you just had a bad, atypical experience?  In any case I'd encourage you to keep trying if it interests you, I find mantids to be both amazing and great fun to watch as well as to photograph.


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## klawfran3 (Jun 15, 2014)

papilio said:


> Thank you klawfran3!
> 
> I'm quite new to mantids myself, but in my experience this far I've not yet run into any difficulties ... those which I've kept seem to be at least as hardy as most Ts (in fact certainly easier than slings).  Perhaps you just had a bad, atypical experience?  In any case I'd encourage you to keep trying if it interests you, I find mantids to be both amazing and great fun to watch as well as to photograph.


hey, maybe I'll try again! there's not reason not to! thank you very much for the absolutely stunning images. I can't get over how amazing they are!

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## papilio (Jun 15, 2014)

klawfran3 said:


> hey, maybe I'll try again! there's not reason not to! thank you very much for the absolutely stunning images. I can't get over how amazing they are!


Thanks again, I sincerely appreciate it~  

Glad you're up for another go!!  By far the best source online of which I'm aware is Rebecca at http://www.mantidpets.com/shop/start .  She has a very large listing of mantids on her site, but only a fraction of them are available at any given time.  Pay attention to the care sheet for the species you get and I'm confident that you'll have success.  

Here are a couple of pics of the 3mm Ghost Mantis nymphs which just hatched for me last week.  It's a fantastic species to start with -- easy to raise and very cool-looking!  And she does currently have them available I believe.  :biggrin:  They're relatively cheap so you  might want to get three or so, that way if one does happen to die it won't feel like the experience was a total loss.  


-- Michael



_Phyllocrania paradoxa_, Ghost Mantis, ~3mm BL


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## Beary Strange (Jun 16, 2014)

Amazing pics as usual papilio. I think I need to pick up some of these guys soon. *w*

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## papilio (Jun 18, 2014)

klawfran3 said:


> hey, maybe I'll try again! there's not reason not to! thank you very much for the absolutely stunning images. I can't get over how amazing they are!





Belle Fury said:


> Amazing pics as usual papilio. I think I need to pick up some of these guys soon. *w*



Thanks a lot guys!  
Ya think it's possible for a T-man to become a mantis-man???  :O


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## papilio (Jun 20, 2014)

klawfran3 said:


> ... are they hard to keep? I'm no good at keeping mantids alive so I don't want to try it. I couldn't even get a chinese mantis to make it to L4. -_-


klawfran, I just came across this regarding Idolos ... _"Finally, exotic pets like the devil's flower mantis are difficult because they're one of the few captive species that lack the typical suction cups on the bottoms of their feet. This makes it impossible for them to climb glass or plastic, requiring them to need very special cages that provide many footholds while retaining humidity."_

This is true, this species needs lots of footholds built into the habitat ... just by luck my habitat was as described, otherwise I may have lost some as many have said they do with this species.

The quote is from one of the best mantis care sheets online, check it out at http://www.bugsincyberspace.com/mantid_care.html

Best luck and have fun!!  :biggrin:


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## Argos (Jun 20, 2014)

Just found this thread. For what it's worth, they have such short lives and these moments you've captured so well are fleeting. Amazing photography. Wish I had the ability to take photos like this as I've kept just about every mantid species in culture at some point. This work is some of the best I've seen with this species. Thanks again.

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## papilio (Jun 21, 2014)

Argos said:


> Just found this thread. For what it's worth, they have such short lives and these moments you've captured so well are fleeting. Amazing photography. Wish I had the ability to take photos like this as I've kept just about every mantid species in culture at some point. This work is some of the best I've seen with this species. Thanks again.


Many thanks Argos, it always means a lot to me to know that people enjoy the photos ... I LOVE taking them!  :biggrin:


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## RS4guy (Jun 21, 2014)

join mantidforums.net, I also noticed your idolo molt to be touching the ground, not so great. Make sure it's enclosure is 3X their body length in height. Idolo's should only be fed flying insects, and they like high heat/dry.  Make sure to provide sure footing for an upside down molt, like screening or something. Awesome image stacks btw! Always wished I would learn.

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## papilio (Jun 21, 2014)

RS4guy said:


> join mantidforums.net, I also noticed your idolo molt to be touching the ground, not so great. Make sure it's enclosure is 3X their body length in height. Idolo's should only be fed flying insects, and they like high heat/dry.  Make sure to provide sure footing for an upside down molt, like screening or something. Awesome image stacks btw! Always wished I would learn.



Thanks for the input RS4guy, and for the kind words on the photos!  I do understand the importance of enclosure height, and mine is 5-6 times the mantis height with a good number of footholds.  For whatever reason, this was the location it chose ... surprising since there are certainly more secure locations to hang from while molting.  Luckily there was no physical damage that I can tell and it's doing fine.    They're loving the Blue Bottle flies I'm providing them with ... amazing to see them capture one in mid-flight!

Oh, and of course, I'm a member of mantidforums and love it!  I have an excellent supplier of mantids here in America, but it's frustrating sometimes to see the offerings on the forum available from foreign hobbyists.

Stacking is an enormous challenge ... especially with live subjects!!  But it's also great fun and most satisfying.  If you'd like to give it a try, first of all I strooooongly recommend Zerene as the stacking software, and if you'd like to forego the rail (at least for the time being) and have either a Nikon or Canon, ControlMyNikon/Canon is a great alternative as it steps by rotating the lens' focus ring by tiny amounts.  I used it for quite a while and it's superb, very inexpensive software, tethering is usually used and a capture can be triggered by a mobile device, a sound (some spoken keyword) and even by motion sensing!  Find it HERE.


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## papilio (Jun 23, 2014)

Sometimes the abstract structure and bokeh of a single frame is more stunning than the finished focus stack will ever be.



_Idolomantis diabolica_ exuvia, one frame out of a 230-image focus stack, 6X


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## papilio (Jul 9, 2014)

Wow, growing faster than weeds ... L5 already and a good 4-inches legspan.

These first were taken at about 1:2 just using a kit lens, the closer ones where also taken hand-held but at 2X to 5X with a Canon MP-E 65mm.




_Idolomantis diabolica,_ 3-inch L5





























Canon MP-E
























50% res crop of above.














Red light channel




Thanks for looking!


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## Micrathena (Jul 9, 2014)

I am jealous of all your mantids.

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## papilio (Jul 9, 2014)

They're really amazing!    I only started getting into mantids a couple of months ago, when I got the first of these.

I just got an ooth of _Creobroter_ sp., Indian flower mantis ... Very cool!  


http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/5435/mmoodlliicchhyy.jpg
http://ks27729.kimsufi.com/p1/200809/E0/24403011.jpg
http://www.captivebredreptileforums...lower-mantis-creobroter-gemmatus-untitled.jpg


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