# Sheesh, yet more Pseudocreobotra wahlbergiis



## papilio (Aug 21, 2014)

I think people on flickr must be getting tired of all of the wahlbergii pics I'm uploading, but I just love them!


More _Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii_, L3








































Thanks for looking!

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## fuzzyavics72 (Aug 21, 2014)

How could you be sick of that beautiful insect?!?!?!? I love these photos!!!

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## papilio (Aug 21, 2014)

fuzzyavics72 said:


> How could you be sick of the beautiful insect?!?!?!? I love these photos!!!


Hehe, JK. 

Thanks a lot fuzzyavics!


----------



## fuzzyavics72 (Aug 21, 2014)

Lol, I was in a hurry. I've always wanted a mantis, but I can't find any breeders. Do you breed these beautiful creatures?

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## papilio (Aug 21, 2014)

fuzzyavics72 said:


> Lol, I was in a hurry. I've always wanted a mantis, but I can't find any breeders. Do you breed these beautiful creatures?


I've only recently gotten into mantids, but if I'm lucky I'd love to breed my Idolomantis diabolicas!  They just had their penultimate molts.

Try Rebecca at http://mantidpets.com/shop/start .

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## fuzzyavics72 (Aug 21, 2014)

Oh okay sir. I went to that website and I'm so confused lol. I'm going to have to do some research and may I ask you some questions if I need help? And thank you for the website sir!!

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## papilio (Aug 21, 2014)

fuzzyavics72 said:


> Oh okay sir. I went to that website and I'm lost, I have no clue about mantises lol. I'm going to have to do some research and may I ask you some questions if I need help? And thank you for the website sir!!


You're most welcome!

Go to "All praying mantis for sale", and then Google image the species which look interesting.  She has a large listing, but availability depends on which oothecas she's obtained from her breeding at the time.


----------



## fuzzyavics72 (Aug 21, 2014)

I did manage to find what mantises she had for sale, but I don't know what species are good for beginners.  Am I better off with a nymph or an adult to start off with? And where the F#$% can I get those Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii?!??!?!?!?!? I'm sorry to swear, but I felt like the swear word would really emphasis how amazing they are!!!

Also are native or foreign species better to start with?

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## papilio (Aug 21, 2014)

fuzzyavics72 said:


> I did manage to find what mantises she had for sale, but I don't know what species are good for beginners.  Am I better off with a nymph or an adult to start off with? And where the F#$% can I get those Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii?!??!?!?!?!? I'm sorry to swear, but I felt like the swear word would emphasis how amazing they are!!!


Ghost mantids are a good first choice, they're cool-looking and hardy.  Be sure to have some wingless fruit flies to feed the nymphs, which are best to start with as mantids only live for about a year.  This species is not expensive so maybe get three in case you lose any.  And keep them separate, they can be cannibalistic.  For the flies I'd recommend a producing Melonogaster culture from http://www.joshsfrogs.com/producing-wingless-drosophila-melanogastor-fruit-fly-culture.html and read up on how to start new cultures from the first.  They grow quickly, so two cultures should last long enough ... after that you can start feeding them small crickets.

If you'd like, check out my video of a 0.75-inch third instar eating a cricket at [thread=266616]Phyllocrania paradoxa, Ghost mantis L3, feeding video[/thread].

I bought three wahlbergiis about a month ago, but she quickly sold out sadly.  They certainly are one of the most spectacular mantids, along with Idolomantis diabolica.  Check out Google images to see these amazing and bizarre mantids!  And they get huge, almost as large as your hand.  I've got several threads on them.


----------



## fuzzyavics72 (Aug 21, 2014)

Thank you so much!! You've been so helpful. What instar can the mantises eat crickets? 

Those ghosts are amazing and I think I'm going to buy three next week!!

OMG!!!!! I think I'm in love with the Idolomantis diabolica!!!


----------



## Micrathena (Aug 21, 2014)

That is a beautiful insect there!! It reminds me of a mantis shrimp.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## papilio (Aug 21, 2014)

fuzzyavics72 said:


> Thank you so much!! You've been so helpful. What instar can the mantises eat crickets?
> 
> Those ghosts are amazing and I think I'm going to buy three next week!!
> 
> OMG!!!!! I think I'm in love with the Idolomantis diabolica!!!


Yeah, those have got to be the two coolest mantids there are!  Can't decide which is my favorite lol.  The wahlbergiis only get about an inch max, but my Idolos are already 4 inches!

The ghosts can eat small crickets by third instar.  I hatched mine from an ootheca, wow what a transformation from L1 to L2!!  When they hatched they looked totally like little black ants.




Micrathena said:


> That is a beautiful insect there!! It reminds me of a mantis shrimp.


They are pretty amazing ... not a lot to see with the naked eye yet at their size, but under a macro they really explode with color and structure.  And yeah, you're totally right about the mantis shrimp!


----------

