Deroplatys dessicata

Steven

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Hey does anybody know if you can keep these species (dead leaf mantids) together ???
i've seen some picts were they beeing kept with aprox 7 species in a large cage.

Any other info about Deroplatys dessicata is welcome,
i'm planning on getting these dead leaves :D
 

Wade

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I've kept this species, but I've never tried keeping them together. My guess would be that they would do OK provided it was a large cage with lots of leafy cover and plenty of food. This is the case with most mantids actually, but often the size of the cage needed exceeds the space that several small cages would occupy!I know annother keeper who keeps male and female pairs together for breeding without much aggression.

Personally, I probably wouldn't do it (with the exception of breeding pairs) simply because here in the US they're quite expensive, $35 and up. A little too steep to risk losing them to cannibalism IMO! My impression is that they're cheaper in Europe as there are more people breeding them there. If so, then it's probably worth checking out.

Wade
 

Wade

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Something I read about on annother forum reminded me of some interesting defensive behaviors that these guys will do. One is an impressive threat display where a female will bring her forelegs up and line them up with the lobes on her thorax and spread her wings. It's a spectacular display, hard to describe.

The other thing they will sometimes do is draw up their legs close to their body and just drop off whatever they're clinging to. They will remain in this pulled-in position even if you pick them up and flip them over in your hand. I assume the idea is that they're trying to to not only look like a dead leaf, but to act like one to! I can only imagine how hard it would be to find the mantid on a leaf-coverd forest floor in the wild if it did this. A very effective ploy, no doubt.

Wade
 

Steven

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Hey, thanx for your info, seems to me like these are really intresting and pretty mantids !!!!
tomorrow ther's an insectfair here in Belgium, i'm gonna look for some Dead leafs for sure :D , hopefully i'll find some

i'll let you know what i bought!!! =D
 

Wade

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Go for it. They're definately one of the neatest looking and interesting mantids!

Wade
 

Steven

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Hey,

instead of Deroplatys dessicata's, i just bought on an insectfair today in Belgium 6 little Deroplatys Lobata's(2cm L2) for 20Euro (that's about 18 Am.Dollars i guess), the guy i bought them from said he kept al of his Deroplatys species together and haven't found any kanabalisme!

OK, i'm way to happy now with my new 6 little dead leafs (pictures coming up soon!!!!) =D

I'll let you know what's going on with them!!!

PS: yes, a flower mantis also looks good, but i prefer the bigger ones like Hierodula's, Sphodromantis and Deroplatys species :}


greetz
 

Wade

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Is that the price you paid for all six? Here, individuals go for almost twice that!

I'm jealous. Good luck with them!

Wade
 

Steven

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Yep, they were sold as a trio for 10Euro
Just little ones , 2 cm big

i bought 2 boxes, that makes 6 litle new dead leafs :D

i'll try to breed them when their adult (that's about 6 months i guess)
Maybe when i have a good captive breed i can send you some oetha or nimfs !!!

i'll let you know


greetz
 

Frank

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Feb 22, 2003
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Dead leaf are awesome, one week ago I went to the Insectarium of Montreal (Quebec, Canada) and I held a dead leaf manthis, or something that looked like a dead leaf manthis :) They are amazing... I'm waiting your pictures! If they weren't that hard to keep/breed and that expensive I would have many of them :)





Frank
 

Dessicata

Arachnobaron
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Mar 17, 2003
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373
cannablism

i wouldnt recommend keeping your dessicata together past around L3/4 as they will cannablise, not definately, but as the female will most likely be bigger, id say you're likely to say goodbye to your male :-/
Do you know of any good german or european sites that ship inverts to the UK, cos im after a few more mantids and scorpions, but our websites are crap (UK ones).

Cheers
 
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