Keep me in mind if'n you do. Mine didn't hatch but I still got the hatchery and a spare 20 gal. tank. I got page 8 must be an omen? ------------------ Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto. Turning white on top, like owner. Leaks a little, like owner. Doesn't smoke, unlike owner
[This message has been edited by DtheC (edited 10-27-2006).]
While I can't offer a nice house in the English Country side, or a Tree House in Tailand, I still have a 10 gallon tank with lights & climby stuff. I know where to get wingless fruit flies other larger food stuffs. I can't say that I'd set up an account for their continuing education, but my life insurence is paid up should anything happen.
You need a PM with my address or do you still have it from last year..
------------------ Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto. Turning white on top, like owner. Leaks a little, like owner. Doesn't smoke, unlike owner
Well, I went to the field, and there weren't too many egg cases. they cleared the other field at some point during the winter, so I don't want to remove any this time around... keep the population "stable", know what I mean?
The mantis cage looks great, but there are two issues: 1.f the container is too large, they might not be able to find their food.
2. The mantids (usually) need to hand upside-down (from the top) in order to molt. they may fall off if they have nothing to grip onto...
That other one is too small for the hatchlings, half will drown in the bottom and they will also go nuts bouncing all over the place! (they will basically end up upside down attached to the bottom)
The bottom one is good to keep a few of 'em in there , but I reccommend ya hatch 'em in a slightly larger container...
that large cage looks good for using with "community" mantids (those that don't eat each other)
Good luck!
-FR
[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 04-21-2007).]
Once at work (no, not band camp) one had found it's way into our building and onto the ceiling above my station. The poor thing was looking a little worse for wear with all the flourecent lights. Then one day a co-worker looks at me horrified...the little guy had found it's way onto my ponytail!
They poo-pooed my suggestion of an office mascot and made me walk him outside.
If the terrorists decide to use insect ninjas and assassin beetles against us, it'll be up to us to create our own insect army... (I'm glad some of you have practiced here in this thread!)- Hopefully, we will be able to heed the call and create our own mighty insect warriors to defeat the infidels!
Our troops will push back the attack and restore Mantisy goodness in the world!!!!!
Any intrest this year? I collected 3 Females last fall. They have given me a few ooths, while in captivity. I'm not sure that these will prove to be fertile, the females may not have mated. I have seen an ooth out in the wild near where I collected the females.
Pictures to follow.
------------------ Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto. Turning white on top, like owner. Leaks a little, like owner. Doesn't smoke....... OK, we're trying to quit.
Any intrest this year? I collected 3 Females last fall. They have given me a few ooths, while in captivity. I'm not sure that these will prove to be fertile, the females may not have mated. I have seen an ooth out in the wild near where I collected the females.
7 ooths out of 3 ladies. I collected 4 manti, they were just sunning themselves on the side of the building. I gave 1 to a nice cook where Mom lives, she has a couple of young'ns that are cool on science stuff. I went to a garden center ( Earl May's ) that has good pet stuff, bought some crickets, but found Meal Worms a little bit easier to control for feeding. After laying a ooth or more, it takes right about 1 hour, they got lethargic, stopped eating, and eventualy kicked the bucket. I suspect that it's the typical end of life scene? Like I mentioned, I don't know that these ladies have mated. They may have layed non fertile ooths. My suspicion is that once they have mated they lay ooths and die, but they may hold fertile eggs back to give multiple egg cases a chance to survive? I've been keeping the ooths in my fridge, I don't know if they need a hard freeze to go through a 'Normal' life cycle?
FR PM me with any advice for handeling & shipping.
Da' Funks are first on the list. Just need an address.
[This message has been edited by DtheC (edited 02-08-2009).]
3 Little Ladies Ooths Been keeping these in the Fridge. Maternity ward? Playpen / Carrier. You can find this at Wallyworld or about any pet shop. The vents are too large for young manti but real good for adults. Easy to drop a cricket or 2 for feeding.
------------------ Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto. Turning white on top, like owner. Leaks a little, like owner. Doesn't smoke....... OK, we're trying to quit.
Really poor picture of a mantis laying an Ooth. I took about 20 pictures, this is the best. The others had way too much flare from the flash. I couldn't get enough room light to get a good picture from natural lighting.
Mantis is head down, Ooth is at top, growing down.
I was very lucky, I walked in on the start, and followed the whole process. It took about 1 hour from start to finish. My apartment was at about 70 degrees, I'd suspect it would take less time at a higher temperature, more if colder.
These have not been through a hard freeze, here in Iowa this years lowest temp to date has been -17*. I just don't know if this is necessary for them to cycle. It might be a matter of humidity and temperature, for all I know. They have been kept dry at refridgerator temp since about Thanksgiving.
All 4 of the collected ladies, including a 5th that was found dead, were 3" long from head to ovipositor. The wings all seemed to be kind of small as compaired to the body. I'd suspect they would have the flying capability of a chicken. This might be a good trait for raising as a pet? I've seen a different variety, around here, with much better wings, they were 6" to 8" long though.
At last count I have 8 ooths of different sizes, from my 3 manti. I've got Da Funks in for a few, I'll send the 2 best and the smallest. Next taker will get the same, 2 best then smallest. 3rd taker will get the last 2.
I'm going to harvest the ooth I've spotted in the wild, for myself. This ooth is a little larger and more circular, it may be from the larger local variety.
thanks for the Ooths (we'll take any extra's ya got too )
Our setup so far..
all natural its changed a lil but this is close enough, there is a purple morning glory growing in there too now and ooths are repositioned.. but you get the point
Looks good. Earlier reports that my nephews ooths hatched were wrong. One of them put some flies in the hatch center, without telling the other. The family has been on spring break this last week, but I hope to hear from them soon.
The case that I harvested from the wild aparently had already hatched. Still have it though, maybe some straglers?
Hey Rumor and others... tis the season around my house...
I was walking out the door this morning... (late, of course!)... and noticed something hanging under one of the day lilies out in the flower bed... I had never seen a moth hang under a plant... it was wierd...
I stopped to get a closer look... then had to go back inside to take a picture that only a rumor would appreciate...
And a different angle... feast up little buddy!
Notice the moth is almost as big as the mantis?!
I have since deduced that Mothra could not take out an equivalently sized Japanese Mantis Monster...
Mothra might win, because he's got those two teeny chicks and the huge caterpillars backin' her up... I'm not too well-versed in the huge monster stuff...
I haven't seen any mantids yet this year.(Havent really looked too much, though)
Weather, central Iowa, has been odd. Coolest July in modern history. Be Jebus cold in February. It's affecting the local insects, almost no 'June Bugs' or Cicadia's this year. /rant on/ There might be climate change, but 'GLOBAL WARMING' is a farce. Is a better growing season a bad thing? /Rant off/
------------------ Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto. Turning white on top, like owner. Leaks a little, like owner. Doesn't smoke....... OK, we're trying to quit.
Weather, central Iowa, has been odd. Coolest July in modern history. Be Jebus cold in February. It's affecting the local insects, almost no 'June Bugs' or Cicadia's this year. /rant on/ There might be climate change, but 'GLOBAL WARMING' is a farce. Is a better growing season a bad thing? /Rant off/
Noticed that. Only saw ONE June bug this year, almost no cicadas too... hmmm...
Don't cicades come around every 17 years? Saw my first praying mantis yesterday at a friend's house. Today I checked out this thread. They don't eat bacon? Just each other?
Don't cicades come around every 17 years? Saw my first praying mantis yesterday at a friend's house. Today I checked out this thread. They don't eat bacon? Just each other?
Most cicadas come out every year. Some species come out after 3, 5, or spend more lengthy periods underground (17 years) I read that they do this to survive against predators that are around every year...
Haven't seen any mantids this year. Was lookin' at a few on Ebay for a buck...
I don't think we get Mantis up here in MN. I haven't seen a wild one that I can recall. We have ALOT of grasshoppers this year, because we have had a very dry late summer.
<---- did you buy Cliff a beer?
