My Mantids

[gary1621]

Hey guys, thought it was about time i shared some of my bugs with you
And Tiff wanted to see them

My adult Griffin Mantis, who has sadly passed She was beautiful, you'd have to see her to appreciate her colours. SHe was very active but not at all skitty.

My adult Budwing Mantis. She is still going strong A very calm easy going bug.

(pre sub-adult)

After getting these to sub-adult i thought i'd get another two.

My Giant Shield Mantis. This one is a live wire! She has always been skitty, so i havent had her out so much. I'm affraid she'll disappear or damage herself trying to escape.

These are both at sub-adult, i will try and get a pic now she is adult. She is so impressive, but still flighty.

And finally, this is my male African Lined... He is booootiful! Very nice and rare colouring. He has always been very pale, and when younger during his development he was white!

I am currently in the process of trying to breed him. See if his colour traits will be passed down. I found him a girlfriend.
This will be my first attempt, i hope he doesnt get eatten Females are much larger and known to attack. I have kept her well fed so hopefully she isnt hungry.

Keep your fingers crossed for us

 

[Miss Lily]

WOW! That last pic - is that him down the bottom and her at the top of the cage? If so the size difference is huge! Don't know much about these guys, but they look cool! Don't know that I could bring myself to hold one though. I saw photos somewhere of an orchid mantis (?). Can't remember, but it was an amazing looking critter - like a flower with legs, lol!

Thanks for posting, Gary, and good luck with the mating. Finger's crossed he doesn't get eaten.

 

[gary1621]

Tiff, that is her at the top and him at the bottom. I was shocked by the size difference too! wait till you see the next few pics!!

Orchid mantis are boootiful, and relatively small compared to most commonly kept mantis. I've not kept one yet, flower matids are a bit harder to keep and get to adult.

Handling them is quite cool, not at all creepy like crix or locust, you hardly feel them.

The mating turned into a bit of a joke. She basically gave him a piggy back for 48hours!!! They didnt connect so i'm currently giving them a rest from each other and then i'll try again in a couple of days

Ready for the next snaps?... hehehe

Here she is having a feed, and him sussing her out!

He got brave and jumped on her

Got himself ready to connect... and missed. I thought he'd try again, but i didnt see it... So 48hr piggy back ride instead!

She was such a good girl, she didnt eat him

 

[AJA]

....

The mating turned into a bit of a joke. She basically gave him a piggy back for 48hours!!! They didnt connect so i'm currently giving them a rest from each other and then i'll try again in a couple of days
...

She was such a good girl, she didnt eat him

I am SO biting my tongue here.


I hatched out an ooth, and of course only one survived because I didn't put every single one of them in a deli cup. I liked them, cool little guys.