So just recently I got into a new hobby, one that I tried a couple of times years back (before I knew what I was doing) with no success, and thus far things are looking a lot more promising....
Of course for keeping predatory insects, you need stuff to feed them with, and my main food source for them is almost as interesting to document as the mantids. I just got my one current adult female dubia to give birth for the first time:
juvenile dubia roach by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And she's a little chunky still after the fact:
female dubia roach by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And one of the other previously immature roaches molted into an adult male, so I can be assurred likely of youngsters every month for as long as I have carrots to give them:
Male dubia roach by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
My first mantids (came in a little over a week ago) are young African Giant lined mantises, currently dubbed Lucy, Fred, Ethel, and Desi (bonuses for those who get the referene), though Lucy, the biggest one, is the only on I'm certain of the sex right now.
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And just yesterday, received 4 other species to try my hand at. The largest and currently the only adults I have, 2 female and 1 male African Budwings. The first female has already mated, and the other two I will eventually get to couple
Parasphendale affinis -female #1 by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Green on her face and red on her sides; very colorful close up
Parasphendale affinis -female #1 by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Munch munch...
Parasphendale affinis -female #1 by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Parasphendale affinis -female #2 by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And the male is puny by comaprison
Parasphendale affinis -male by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Species #3, 5 L2 African spiny flower mantids. Babies mimic ants while the adults are showy with unusual wing eyespots
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Species 4, Giant African stick mantids. These guys look like they're constantly disappointed with my decisions in life...and eventually they'll get up to 6 inches long
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And my final current mantid, an undesignated African ground mantis species. For their size they have huge attitudes, and if anything moves around them they start displaying with pumping arms and flexing abdomens.
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
The current largest
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Here's hoping I can keep all of them to maturity and breeding size...
Of course for keeping predatory insects, you need stuff to feed them with, and my main food source for them is almost as interesting to document as the mantids. I just got my one current adult female dubia to give birth for the first time:
juvenile dubia roach by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And she's a little chunky still after the fact:
female dubia roach by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And one of the other previously immature roaches molted into an adult male, so I can be assurred likely of youngsters every month for as long as I have carrots to give them:
Male dubia roach by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
My first mantids (came in a little over a week ago) are young African Giant lined mantises, currently dubbed Lucy, Fred, Ethel, and Desi (bonuses for those who get the referene), though Lucy, the biggest one, is the only on I'm certain of the sex right now.
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And just yesterday, received 4 other species to try my hand at. The largest and currently the only adults I have, 2 female and 1 male African Budwings. The first female has already mated, and the other two I will eventually get to couple
Parasphendale affinis -female #1 by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Green on her face and red on her sides; very colorful close up
Parasphendale affinis -female #1 by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Munch munch...
Parasphendale affinis -female #1 by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Parasphendale affinis -female #2 by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And the male is puny by comaprison
Parasphendale affinis -male by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Species #3, 5 L2 African spiny flower mantids. Babies mimic ants while the adults are showy with unusual wing eyespots
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Species 4, Giant African stick mantids. These guys look like they're constantly disappointed with my decisions in life...and eventually they'll get up to 6 inches long
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And my final current mantid, an undesignated African ground mantis species. For their size they have huge attitudes, and if anything moves around them they start displaying with pumping arms and flexing abdomens.
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
The current largest
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Here's hoping I can keep all of them to maturity and breeding size...