Mantis pictures

loyaluntodeath

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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Jan 5, 2007
Messages
76
Thats depressing :( Tarantulas generaly cost more but they live ALOT longer....maybe i'll just stick with Tarantulas...ahhh i don't know...i realy want to get a carolina (duno scientific name) i caught one once and it was alot of fun...but i doubt its a good idea to keep a mantis on crix alone...

if anyone has spare dubia im always open i'll pay shipping! :p
 

padkison

Arachnoangel
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Dec 8, 2005
Messages
901
Age can vary by species. Ten months for a female sounds right. Ghost mantids are long lived, up to 18 months. However, they also take longer to mature. I have two African Budwing females that are about 10 months now and they are showing their age. They have difficulty catching prey and spend a lot of time sitting on the bottom of their enclosures.
 

padkison

Arachnoangel
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Dec 8, 2005
Messages
901
Stagmomantis carolina. They can be found along the east coast and others in the same genus across the country. I tried to breed them last year and could not because all my males died in captivity before I could breed them. I have an ooth coming this week and will try again. I find them more intriguing and endearing than the Chinese mantids.

Mantids do fine on crickets alone, although I use roaches and bluebottle flies because I don't like dealing with crickets on a large scale.

Thats depressing :( Tarantulas generaly cost more but they live ALOT longer....maybe i'll just stick with Tarantulas...ahhh i don't know...i realy want to get a carolina (duno scientific name) i caught one once and it was alot of fun...but i doubt its a good idea to keep a mantis on crix alone...

if anyone has spare dubia im always open i'll pay shipping! :p
 

TNeal

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 11, 2006
Messages
211
Awesome pictures. They make me want more and more Mantids.

My Chinese Mantid nymphs are two weeks old now and doing well. I started feeding them the larger fruit fly species, D. heidi, which they tackled with no problems.

I agree with people saying how the facial features make them look more intelligent. When holding one I sometimes wonder just who is studying who.:cool:
 

AneesasMuse

Arachnoangel
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Jul 31, 2006
Messages
838
Amazing pics!! :)

My Chinese mantids started hatching yesterday... all over my kitchen! :eek: I put the 2 ooths in a small Ficus tree on the table and kind of forgot about them. (I was pretty discouraged after posting on mantidforum.com and thought they probably wouldn't hatch anyway.)

I hurried and put the little tree with the 2 ooths attached, into a screened enclosure and then started rounding up the stray 50 or so little "aliens". I guess the other ooth will hatch pretty soon.. if it's not a dud, after all.

I have flightless fruitflies in abundance... hubby picked up 2 cultures cuz I thought they would be the dinky little vial ones... and they are the soda bottle ones instead! Looks like I'll have plenty of survivors then. :rolleyes:

Any pics of Orchid Mantis? Do you have some in your collection, padkison? Orchids and Ghosts are on my wish list... I just wanna see how I do with the Chinese first.
 

TNeal

Arachnoknight
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Dec 11, 2006
Messages
211
When I was ready for my Chinese Ootheca to hatch I thought I had plenty of flies also. I started with 3 - 32 oz containers of them. Guess What ?? I just about ran out after 2 weeks. I suggest you get the larger fly species, D. heidi, as they are much bigger and you feed much less of them.

I also have a European Ootheca about to hatch if anyone in interested in some nymphs. Let me know,

Tom
 

AneesasMuse

Arachnoangel
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I will look for the larger ones, then. Thanks, Tom. Btw, did you get yours online or locally?

I'm thinking of trying some Lobster roach nymphs... teeny tiny ones... and pin head crickets, as well. Once they've grown some, I mean.
 

padkison

Arachnoangel
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Dec 8, 2005
Messages
901
I have some orchids and ghosts too. The ghosts are L5 and have proven hardy and easy to keep. I had a terrible time with orchids dying on me. I did not have the humidity/ventilation right. Now I seem to have things straight and have a sub adult female and sub adult male plus a few smaller ones. With my camera, the orchids are hard to take pictures of because they are white and look washed out with a flash.

Amazing pics!! :)
Any pics of Orchid Mantis? Do you have some in your collection, padkison? Orchids and Ghosts are on my wish list... I just wanna see how I do with the Chinese first.
 

AneesasMuse

Arachnoangel
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Have you ever tried to set up a photo box? I do it for my geckos and don't use the flash. It may work for you, if you haven't tried it already.

...I bet the Mantis will stay in the 'screen' longer than a Crested gecko will, too {D
 

padkison

Arachnoangel
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Dec 8, 2005
Messages
901
I've heard of photo boxes, but haven't had the motivation to set one up yet.

Have you ever tried to set up a photo box? I do it for my geckos and don't use the flash. It may work for you, if you haven't tried it already.

...I bet the Mantis will stay in the 'screen' longer than a Crested gecko will, too {D
 

TNeal

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
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Dec 11, 2006
Messages
211
Hello again,

I got the large fruitflies on line. I highly recommend the place where I got them. She sends out larger cultures and has many other types of live foods also available. She is very pleasant to deal with. When you contact her please mention me.

Name: Deborah Meyers
Email: deborah22312@aol.com
Webpage: http://dm30.tripod.com/diff/

I have read that baby Chinese Mantids can eat pin head cricketts from birth. I have ordered 2000 of them, so we'll see. My babies are starting to shed today. The one that has shed is showing the green coloration. With the shed her size has increased at least 33%.

I recommend Blaptica dubia for your feeder roaches. I have some for sale/trade if you want some.

Let me know,

Tom
 

padkison

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
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Dec 8, 2005
Messages
901
L5 Ghosts



L3 Wide Arm


L1 Wide Arms


Adult Pseudovates peruviana female - Green Wings
 

gunslinger

Arachnobaron
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Dec 6, 2006
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356
I dont know much about mantids but i sure think its cool how that first pic have 3 different color variations. Does that color variation go away by adult hood, or do they remain different?
 

padkison

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
901
Male Wide Arm nymph


Female Wide Arm nymph


Ghost penultimate male
 
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